League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume Two: Fan Rewrite
by Marco Incognito
Summary: In the sequel to the First Volume of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, our heroes find themselves facing off against a menace from the stars in an adaptation of the Comic by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil. Expect more changes than were made to the First Volume.
1. Phases of Deimos

_"We have heard of this device, above London. They say that it was powered by light, but this is surely fantastic. Can it be true? Also, they tell us that the Sikh is still alive and played some part in this affair. I must confess that I do not know what to think. And now these fireballs in the sky! Our element is all in uproar, it would seem. What next? Whatever next?"  
_  
-Robur, in private correspondence with Luftkapitan Mors,  
August 12th, 1898

A red planet appeared on a tapestry.

There were several smaller red dots floating in a black circle embraced by a crescent moon impaled by a large sword. The various colored symbols portraying the solar system as a spectrum of yellow and red circles mixed with multicolored planets.

the strangest thing about that carpet was its pattern. It was threadbare enough to all conscience in places, yet the design still lived in solemn, age-wasted hues, and seemed much like a star map done by a scribe who had lately recovered from delirium tremens as anything else. In the centre appeared a round such as might be taken for the sun, while here and there, "in the field," as heralds say, were lesser orbs which from their size and position could represent smaller worlds circling about it. Between these orbs were dotted lines and arrow-heads of the oldest form pointing in all directions, while all the intervening spaces were filled up with woven characters half-way in appearance between Runes and Cryptic-Sanskrit. Round the borders these characters ran into a wild maze, a perfect jungle of an alphabet through which none but a wizard could have forced a way in search of meaning, but it appeared to be at least partially in either hiragana or Katakana Japanese but only a mere four letters could be identified and was written backwards, partially an alien script, and finally a cursive form of hebrew. An educated guess would be that each section of the carpet contained a different script. The brown border and the greenish circle surrounding the center may have been the extraterrestrial language.

At the center of the largest circle stood a man garbed in grey robes. Onboard his decorated flying carpet the figure travelled across the canyons of a red desert.

 _July, 1898._

As the man and his carpet descended into the pitch blackness of the canyon, it quickly transformed into a Cave. There were rock formations that arched to form bridges and pillars of smoke that shot off in and twisted in many directions. In the distance were two blue lights.

 _The Planet Mars.  
_  
 **Chapter One: Phases of Deimos**  
The carpet floated down gently, barely touching the ground. The robed figure came into the light shining down on the cavern. Aside from his robes he wore on his face a metallic golden equivalent to the gas mask. He took a step off and rolled up the carpet which flopped at its ends. Another figure stepped outward. A deep inhuman voice spoke in an alien guttural language.

The newcomer was a large green skinned figure. His legs up to his pelvis were taller than the man. He had a metal belt buckle with many swords and daggers in their hilts. A larger sheaved sword was taller than him. He had a curved golden axe. One of his hands grabbed the handle of the hilted sword. Another arm grabbed a spear that stretched out even taller than the alien. Another arm hanged at his side. Another hand was clenched and resting on his hip. A green cloak was draped over his head, shielding the face from view. It blew in the Martian wind. Along the arms were metal bracelets. The four armed giant was fifteen feet tall. His spear was possibly forty feet long and the face...

The man spoke in the same language. He had learned Martian by telepathic means, which some of the green race possessed.

The Martian stood like a statue. The wind blew to expose the creature's face.

There was no hair on their bodies, which were of a very light yellowish-green color. In the adults, as the Man had learned, the color deepened to an olive green darker in the male than in the female. Further, the heads of the adults were not so out of proportion to their bodies as in the case of the young.

The iris of the eyes were blood red, as in Albinos, while the pupil was dark. The eyeball itself was very white, as were the teeth. These latter added a most ferocious appearance to an otherwise fearsome and terrible countenance, as the lower tusks curve upward to sharp points which ended about where the eyes of earthly human beings were located. The whiteness of the teeth was not that of ivory, but of the snowiest and most gleaming of china. Against the dark background of their olive skins their tusks stood out in a most striking manner, making these weapons present a singularly formidable appearance."

The Martian wore a helmet under his hood and pointed with gritted teeth behind him. He spoke to the man who understood and the word "Hither." He turned and the man followed. They marched across the sand dunes of the desert of Mars towards two rock structures.

the two entered the narrowing path. Two arms shot out to point and words were spoken. As they climbed to the top of a hill. There were hundred of tents decorating the space within the canyon. Many more of the giant martians were present along with several reptilian beasts with a single horn and mouths which showed large teeth with tongues that hung at the side like that of a dog. These beasts were called Thoats. They had four legs on either side; a broad flat tail, larger at the tip than at the root, and which it held straight out behind while running; a gaping mouth which split its head from its snout to its long, massive neck.  
Like its master, it was entirely devoid of hair, but was of a dark slate color and exceeding smooth and glossy. Its belly was white, and its legs shaded from the slate of its shoulders and hips to a vivid yellow at the feet. The feet themselves were heavily padded and nailless, which fact had also contributed to the noiselessness of their approach, and, in common with a multiplicity of legs, is a characteristic feature of the fauna of Mars. The highest type of man and one other animal, the only mammal existing on Mars, alone have well-formed nails, and there are absolutely no hoofed animals in existence there.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. All eyes were on the sole human, who simply continued on his path. Finally, the man and his alien companion ended a temple. The number of guards decreased except for one which sat by a large hookah like device. There was stone statues of four armed warriors holding proud shields, small daggers, and twisting swords. The martian spoke and pulled away the curtain.

At the center of the large war tent adorned with various tapestries stood a human man. Smoke emerged and even concealed his face. It bellowed from a large pot. The Martian kneeled back out of the tent, peaking his head in one last time, asking if anything else was needed. A human hand was raised and flattened as a non verbal command. The creature spoke and his head retreated behind the curtain. The two human shapes were left alone.

The owner of the war tent sat with legs spread. He pushed himself up. Face still concealed by the smoke and then walked through the cloud, to reveal he was at least human. The newcomer removed his gas mask, which amplified the noise of his breathing. A hand was brought up and the hood was pulled down. The face seen was a man with blonde hair. The face of his host was of a taller black haired man.

"John"

The two shook hands. "John" The host had an english accent.

"Gullivar. Good to see you again."

He had hints of a southern American accent.

Gullivar:And you. This is the most dressed I've seen your people.

John: Yes its true the Martians of Barsoom prefer to go naked. It's this region. There are too many sandstorms. With the war going on everyone carries weapons at all times. How are your people? ready to move?

John politely turned away to pour himself and his new ally a drink of a green liquid.

Gullivar:Well, I've got about five hundred of the Hither people camped down the canyon. I marched from their settlement in the ancient ruins of Varnal, earlier today.

John:hmm. Varnal. The Green City,huh?

Gullivar:yes...or what's left of it. Of course, it dates from the Kane dynasty, thousands of years before the Hither settled it.

John handed him a glass.

Gullivar: Kane was supposedly from "Negalu" the third planet, wasn't he?

Gullivar took the glass and began taking a long sip.

Gullivar: Thanks. this smells great. The hither's drinks taste like Turpentine.

John: Negalu? That's an older name for Jasoom which is what the people of Marsoom call Earth.

Gulliver's head was raised.

Gullivar: You don't think Michael Kane was...?

John: One of us? No. Not all those centuries ago. The earth-sounding name is probably a coincidence. Then again we didn't know about Frederick and without him we wouldn't have known about the invasion. What happened to him?

Gullivar:The invaders came down as meteors. Him and Princess Suhlamia tried to use some sort of portal to take everyone to earth, but then the rebellion happened. I think they left to Venus instead and took the yellow, red and blue martians with them.

John:Not all of the red martians...Wait? A Portal to earth?

Gullivar: Yes. A few races like the Sorns had the chance to invade earth long ago but voted against it. Sadly that technology no longer exists.

John: Jesus. Any other earthmen of Mars we didn't know about?

Gullivar: Well there are also tales of a craft called the _Astronaut_ and a tall martian claiming to be from earth, but that region of the planet had inhabitants who refused to believe life existed anywhere else. They were torn apart by the Molluscs. Then there's Nic-Nac...I don't know a thing about him.

John:So it seems we're the last ones. I suppose we better make it count.

The two toasted glasses and walked towards a large map.

John: We ought to think about making our move soon. The Sorns have promised a legion from the North. Coming from Southeast and Southwest, we'll have the mollusks in a pincer.

Gullivar: Good. Perhaps we can drive those alien leeches away forever.

His expression changed.

Gullivar: Incidentally, John, I'm terribly sorry to hear about the princess...

John:...what have you heard?

Gullivar: Only that she was taken.

John: She still lives.

Gullivar's eyes widened.

John: A Gathol army officer believed that he could appease the invaders by sacrificing the great, John Carter, Earthmen and Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Mars, the Sarmaks would spare him. I escaped with some of my companions but the Princess remains is still captured. It allowed me to see for myself their compound. Now is the time to strike when we have enough of an army.

Gullivar: How do you know she is not dead?

John: I saw it. A row of martians like cattle. They were about to kill the Princess but instead they took her to be examined.

Gullivar: Then we'd be get moving. I can have the Hither's up over the canyon wall within minutes.

John: Fine. That should make out attack simultaneous with that of the Sorns.

The two shook hands.

John: Good luck, Gullivar. May Ares be with you.

Carter put on a helmet and Gullivar put on his gas mask and picked up the carpet.

John: So that's the flying carpet. I've only heard about them in stories.

Gullivar: It's a little different from the old ones. It wrapped me up in itself and took me here. I've gotten better at controlling it.

The two stepped out of the tent. The large martians saluted with two of their arms on the same side. Stepping out into an area, Gullvar unfurled the carpet and it floated. He climbed and sat onboard. Finally he shook hands with John, who put a supportive hand on his shoulder. As the carpet took off, Gullivar turned and gestured. John raised a clenched fist in salute. He then turned sharply to turn to a Martian who saluted wit his left side while his right hands pulled his Thoat into the room, ready to be ridden. The creature was slightly different than its brethren to better distinguish it from others. It was black with big red eyes and had four legs along with four insect like appendages which shot outward from the sides. Dust was snorted out of the beast's nostrils. John boarded his steed and saluted to his guards, shouting in the Martian language. The Martians saluted. They wore green capes while some had their cheeks exposed. He turned to see his armies riding Thoats approaching. he raised his blade and spoke the language again, then turned in place and spun his sword in the air. The army rode their beasts up the Martian cliffside, and then over the top and onto the plains. Orders were barked between Carter and the Martian commander Tars Tarkas.

The canyons on Mars could be miles deep, which is why the Martians and the Thoats had to climb up them, rather than around them. Climbing the valley walls like this was probably only possible because of Mars' lower gravity.

On his time on mars, John had two children: Carthoris, prince of Helium, and Tara, princess of Helium, a hero and heroine in their own right off on their own adventures. He could rest easy knowing that they were safe and capable enough should the invaders had made such a move on them as they had their mother. He assured himself that Dejah Thoris would be rescued. He gritted his teeth. He is John Carter: Warlord of Mars.

And as they reached the peak the cliffside seemed narrower. In the distance at the top of a hill he could see the Humanoid shape of what he could only guess to be Gullivar, who raised his won blade, turned back and commanded an army which John knew to be the Hither, though with their robes and in shape they could be mistaken for human, specifically Arabs given their Turbanlike headwear. In the middle of the narrow plain was a large cylinder. The armies of the green martians of Barsoom came to a halt. John raised his hand telling them nonverbally to hold their position. Another Martian shouted to the others. The massive lid began to move, smoke of dust from the rusted lid was emitted. It began to slowly move with a loud scraping sound. It was like the sound of moving a clay pot. It slid off and came crashing down to the crowd, causing a small earthquake, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that engulfed the army.

There was a deafening silence as everyone waited.

A large machine came crashing down with a deafening sound,. Crushing several martians and their steeds and sending others screaming and flying through the air but also concealing itself in kicked up dust. John saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks-like eyes. Then something resembling a little grey snake, about the thickness of a walking stick, coiled up out of the writhing middle, and wriggled in the air. A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly above its concealment. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather. Eyes drifted upward to gaze upon the attacked. It was a large craft with three mechanical legs that led upwards to a mechanical head.

Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding them steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder from which it emerged, another swayed in the air.

Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth-above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes-were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous. There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty.

Fortunately, John Carter had grown accustomed to being surrounded by monsters, but this was different.

It was a Tripod.

A monstrous tripod, higher than many houses, striding over the Martian ridden Thoats, and smashing them aside in its career; a walking engine of glittering metal, striding now across the landscape; articulate ropes of steel dangling from it, and the clattering tumult of its passage mingling with the riot of the thunder. A flash, and it came out vividly, heeling over one way with two feet in the air, to vanish and reappear almost instantly as it seemed, with the next flash, a hundred yards nearer. Can you imagine a milking stool tilted and bowled violently along the ground? That was the impression those instant flashes gave. But instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand...

Seen nearer, the Thing was incredibly strange, for it was no mere insensate machine driving on its way. Machine it was, with a ringing metallic pace, and long, flexible, glittering tentacles (one of which gripped a young martian and its Thoat) swinging and rattling about its strange body. It picked the dirt clean of martians as it went striding along, and the brazen hood that surmounted it moved to and fro with the inevitable suggestion of a head looking about. Behind the main body was a huge mass of white metal like a gigantic fisherman's basket, and puffs of green smoke squirted out from the joints of the limbs as the monster swept by.

John: GET DOWN!

There were shouts in the Barsoom language. John could roughly translate them as things such as "Shit!" "Look out!" and "oh, Fuck!"

The device fired a pod like a torpedo towards the army. It exploded into a fast growing black smoke. Many of the Martians and their steeds let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell down dead with mouths hanging open. Several of the mounted martians ran away from the fast growing mist. Carter spoke with a commander. He looked up to see a figure riding towards him on a flying carpet. He recognized who it was as he flew closer and became audible.

Gullvar: JOHN! John, down to the south-east, they had a tripod waiting!They...

He turned to look at the threat. John did the same and saw the object eviscerating an entire squad, cutting a swath through the army with a device called a heat beam which vaporized all foes in its path.

Gullivar:O-Oh god. Here too?

John turned back to his friend. The smoke was beginning to dissipate. The battlefield was littered with the corpses of the Thoats, some of which laid on their backs with their legs up. Another squad was moving away in retreat.

John:Afraid so. The mollusks are using their black smoke. What about the Hither's ray-cannon? Can't we at least cripple them?

Gullivar: The Tripod was on us before we could remove its Dus-Tarpaulin. John, we have to fall back...

One of the surviving Martians of Barsoom next to Carter pointed with one of his arms to the horizon. Carter understood his words as: "By the Gods, we're saved!"

John:Wait a minute. Maybe not...

Another Martian shouted something which sounded like that was either a triumphant "LOOK!" or the phrase: 'I've heard It actually hurts to look at them.'

The sand was raging, making it hard to see anything within the cloud of red dust. Lights began to appear in the in the sea of red. Lights which floated around. Then the shapes came into view.

The Sorns were one of three species of Malacandra, another region of Mars like that of Barsoom. There were the Hrossa: the poets and farmers; the Pfiltriggi: the artisans; and finally the Sorns: the scholars and philosophers.

They were spindly and flimsy things, twice or three times the height of a man...so crazily thin and elongated in the leg, so top-heavily pouted in the chest, such stalky, flexible-looking distortions of earthly bipeds. They were about six feet high and having round, erect heads, and large eyes in flinty sockets. They were nonetheless beautiful to behold, as if looking at abstract art, appearing as long, twisting human silhouettes.

The rescued could only stare with open mouths. Gullivar's expression was concealed by his mask.

Gullivar: Sorns. My god. I've never even glimpsed one before...

John: They live on the higher areas of Mars where there is less air and the Barsoom do not go. It appears they've saved us. If they can bring down the Tripods, the Hither Cannon can blast through the Mollusc encampment's outer shell. Come on Gullvar! It's now or not at all!

The Sorns walked like men on stilts. The Tripod that had given John so much trouble came crashing down. Gullivar floated above the Hither. A thin, slight, fair race clad in robes and armed with swords and ray guns. several quickly removed the tarp over the Hither Cannon. Several Barsoom soldiers pried open a hatch like opening on the Tripod and pulls out a sword and a dagger in two of its arms and leaped into the hole with a warrior's roar. Tentacles could be seen emerging before the four armed soldier leaped in and green blood sprayed like a fountain from within. The Sorns slowly walked by while the Barsoom soldiers and Thoats charged led by John. The Hither Cannon fired a blue beam, destroying the clay wall surrounding the cylinder embedded in the ground. The power of three armies charged inside, w which was a vast desert littered by what appeared to be massive Mollusc shells scattered about.

As they approached the massive makeshift complex. The multicolored army of Green, White, and black aliens merged together.

John:Damn. Their out ring's deserted and the inner fortifications are stronger. Getting through them could take weeks.

Gullvar removed his mask.

Gullivar: Not entirely deserted. What's that creature over there, in the cage.

They entered an open area with an oval shaped cage.

John: I don't know it's...

With two Sons hovering above the imprisoned alien, the species became clear.

John: Oh god. I think it's a captured Son. The Mollusks have performed flesh-mechanics on it. They've given it wings.

Indeed they had and they appeared to be that of angels.

Gullivar looked around.

Gullvar: What's over there?

There was a small dwelling. John felt the edges.

John: Hmm...Possibly some sort of campaign hut. This black building material...what exactly is it?

Gullivar: I've heard the Molluscs secrete it themselves. They...

He spotted three small blue cubes.

Gullivar: Good god. John, Look here.

He grabbed and held up a blue cube which contained an image of the Earth.

Gullivar:Th-They're some kind of photograph cube, but the images within...There's one of me.

It seemed to be an image of him in uniform back when he first wished to go to Mars.

Gullivar: And there's you and the Princess.

In the image they appeared to be engaged in an intimate moment as Carter was lured to the bed by the reclining Princess.

Gullvar:A-and there's one of Earth...

John: Gullivar! Over here!

He walked over and spotted a strange crystalline oval shape which displayed different images.

Gullivar: Incredible. A glass egg with moving pictures!

John: But what is this place? It's not America.

Gullivar: No. i think its somewhere in England. Wait a minute that's.

A Barsoom Martian spoke to John, guiding his attention away. Gullivar continued to stare. The bust had a long curvy nose, and what appeared to be a bullet hole embedded within it. The view was clearly by a window. Voices could be heard.

"Holmes. I cannot fathom why you've chosen to keep such a memento to Moran's attempt to murder you."

"Mr. Dear Watson. Professor James Moriarty was responsible for my death, false as it may have been. Moran was responsible for my rebirth. It is only fitting that I should have mementos to the both of them."

"Well the bust makes sense. Its the same one you used to thwart your own assassination at Moran's hands. Quite a clever trick placing it by the window so that he'd see it and fire upon it as he did."

"hmm. yes."

"But what about that...odd device by the window?"

"Ah. You mean the Crystal Egg."

"Yes. Is that some sort of elegant paper weight."

"No. Watson. This device has been used by my late arch nemesis Professor Moriarty on several occasions."

"Oh and how would such a device be used?"

"The Professor posed as a shop owner named and would sell the device to those who had wronged him. They would then claim to see Martians within the device. I believe a form of the technology of motion pictures was utilized."

"Martians?"

"oh...um...creatures from the planet Mars. According to the victims large Molluscs with wings."

At this Gullivar, while still listening came to the belief that the invaders had been using Flesh Mechanics. Perhaps to grant themselves wings.

"Well that does sound insane."

"Yes I'm afraid so. The royal Astronomer Sir Nevil Stent and some other unnamed fellow they're still attempting to identify. Stent has made a full recovery though he's now become obsessed with studying the planet Mars."

"Has anything come of it?"

"Well he's identified what he believes to be Volcanoes on the planet Mars. However I wouldn't put it passed him to hesitate to claim the volcanic eruptions were the work of Martians. After his humiliation in a great hoax about ten years ago which ruined his reputation in which he attempted to pass of a Deep Sea Squid as a Martian.

Gullvar:Volcanic Eruptions?

The sounds of the Barsoom language were heard. Gullivar ran off.

Gullvar: What did he say?

John: He said there's Thunder coming from beyond the inner compound walls. He says it sounds like it could blow at any moment.

The Barsoomiam shouted the word "look" in Martian.

A large burst of dust emerged from the inside of the Cylinder and the base formed around it. Many of the three races of Mars retreated, fearing it to be another chemical weapon. An object like a large bullet shot out from within, leaving a large pillar of smoke as the cylinder shot into the atmosphere.

In the year before he was brought to Barsoom of 1865. John had heard of the Baltimore Gun Club's unorthodox method of attempting to reach the moon, by shooting themselves at it like with a massive cannon constructed in Tampa Town, Florida called the Columbiad Cannon. The insane operation was incomplete at the time of his accidental travel through Astral Projection to the Red Planet. He had heard of Zeta Beam technology used for travel and how it had many names such as "Bifrost" and "Warp Pads". He had thought the same may have happened to him but strangely enough his body remained on earth in a state of suspended animation, but covered in dust.

All the races were pointing to the sky.

Gullivar: It's some sort of Artificial Meteor! They're shooting it out into space! Perhaps they're going! Perhaps they're leaving Mars alone!

John: I don't know. Something about this bothers me... God damn there goes another one.

And sure enough there was another...and another.

Gullivar: They're refugee ships! They're finally abandoning Mars after all these years!

John frowned. Gullivar was less experienced than him. He had only one adventure to his name, while Carter had many and his wife and children were having adventures of their own. He knew appearances could be deceiving.

The tow headed inside. The Sorns were freeing several of their own imprisoned race from containment. They had clearly been tortured. Some were dead.

Gullivar: They took some of the Sorns with them, least that's what the survivors say.

John saw her. being helped dup by the green Martians.

John:Dejah!

"John..."

She was scantily clad but her body was littered with scars and injuries. The two embraced and kissed passionately. The Green Martians of Barsoom cheered. His fears were for the moment subsided.

Dejah: Please Forgive me.

John: For what?

Dejah: For being captured.

John:There is nothing to forgive.

There was an explosion. Gullivar ran to John and Dejah.

Gullvar: John! We've destroyed the Cannons.

All three looke dup to the sky to see ten figures floating away out of view.

John: 10 capsules.

Gullivar: A retreat?

John: oh god...

His eyes widened.

Gullivar: What is it?

John: That's an armada. Gullivar. They're not retreating. They're invading.

Gullivar: Invading what?

John: Those cubes. That Egg. They know about us. They know where we come from...Jasoom...Earth.

A look of horror came across his face. His hands grabbed Gullivar's shoulders.

John:THEY'RE GOING TO EARTH!  
 **  
**" _Across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."_

— H. G. Wells (1898), The War of the Worlds

In Space the stars twinkled. Then a woman's heel came crashing down, splashing into the water and sending ripples. We are all of us in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.

A group of people had assembled to surround something. Behind the crowd a carriage arrived, bearing the initials V.R. and the crown. The door opened.

Allan Quatermain removed his hat and stepped out.

Captain Nemo stepped out, the tallest among them.

Dr. Henry Jekyll tugged at his collar nervously.

Mina Harker stepped out. A proper expression on her face.

Griffin stepped out. He wore glasses and his face was bandaged.

Mina led the group. The Constables pushed the crowd away, creating a path for the Five. they all came to the object which had caused all the commotion which cast a bright green light upon them. Griffin let out a puff of smoke. Jekyll was nervous. All the other men had stern expressions.

The sight in question was a newly made large crater. From within came the bright green light.


	2. People of Other Lands

As the morning sun came up, aged hands open up a cigarette case emblazoned with the symbol of a Harlequin. The man stepped out out of his carriage, which bore the Masonic symbol. There were half a dozen

"flies" or more from the Woking station standing in the road by the sand pits, a basketchaise from Chobham, juxtaposed with the rather lordly carriage, the man had stepped out of. As the large man walked forward someone addressed him.

He turned to face the group.

Bond: Miss Harker. Gentlemen.

Nemo gritted his teeth in disgust.

Nemo: Bond. It's a shame you didn't topple into the sky, with your former Master.

All the League members look at him with disdain except for Griffin who was reading a newspaper depicting the events of the night previously. The early editions of the evening papers had startled London with enormous headlines:

"A MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM MARS."

"REMARKABLE STORY FROM WOKING,"

and so forth.

There was a passage on Doctor Nikola which Griffin was looking forward to reading.

Mina: As for our new Master, where is he, I wonder?

Bond lowered his head in sadness, likely for his late Master.

Bond: Th-The new M doesn't travel much.

Mycroft lodged in Pall Mall, and he walked round the corner into Whitehall every morning and back every evening. From year's end to year's end he takes no other exercise, and is seen nowhere else, except only in the Diogenes Club, which is just opposite his rooms.

Bond: He sent me to Liase with you. What's happening exactly?

Mina: Nobody's entirely sure. An Airborne object arrived here early this morning, as did we. We wondered if it might be another of military intelligence's secret projects?

Bond: I assure you we've nothing like that at present. Perhaps the French. Or the Prussians...Or Perhaps the Americans gave that Baltimore Gun Club shoot people to the moon thing another try.

 **Chapter Two: People of Other Lands  
** At the center of the crater was a huge cylinder, caked over and its outline softened by a thick scaly dun-coloured incrustation. It had a diameter of about thirty yards. There was a large field where danny men were working with pick axes and shovels. A barricade had been set up behind the group to keep out civilians.

Bond: What are those laborers doing down there Who gave them permission?

Mina: They're performing the humane task of assisting anyone english, french, Prussian, or American...who might still be alive in that hulk. I don't imagine they felt permission was necessary.

Jekyll: Someone said that Stent, the royal astronomer was here.

Bond:Stent's a babbling Lunatic. He probably thinks this proves his theories of life on other planets.

Mina: And is the notion truly that insane? England was planning a moon expedition...

Bond: Well, yes but we're not expecting to find life there.

Allan pointed dow not the crater.

Allan" look up there! Something's happening...

The top of the Cylinder had begun to move. The people inside began to retreat.

"Blimey..."

"Keep back you men!"

Soon everyone was out, except for one individual you let out a yell as he fell.

"He's fallen into the pit!"

"Keep back!"

"Keep back!

The lid off the capsule came off and fell back onto the ground, causing a small earthquake. Smoke emerged from the inside. Tendrils could be seen wriggling in the air from within.

"AAAAA!"

"OOH,GAWD..."

A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather.

Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding the people around it steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder, another swayed in the air.

Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth-above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes-were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous. There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty.

The League and everyone around them gazed in horror at the creature.

Mina: Oh god.

People began panicking.

Allan: Get everyone away from the crater!

The one man who had fallen into the pit was crawling along the side. the creature fell from within the cylinder and into the crater.

The shopman who had fallen in got his shoulder and knee up, and then seemed to slip back until only his head was visible. He crawled up to the top and grabbed onto a small plant at the surface.

Suddenly he was pulled back down into the pit, and a scream was heard.

The crowd took of running.

Mina: We have to do something before it reaches.

Allan: we don't know what that thing can do.

Nemo: Control yourself man! Whatever breed of devil it, is it could barely move.

Allan realized the man still lived and the creature was unmoving.

Allan: My god you're right...I'm sorry. I-It just reminded me of this...This nightmare I once had...

Beside Allan and Jekyll were two men.

"What ugly brutes!" one said. "Good God! What ugly brutes!" He repeated this over and over again.

Griffin: Life from other Worlds, eh, Bond? Earlier, someone mentioned those volcanoes...

Bond:Th-That's just coincidence. You said yourself, this crowd's been gathering all day. Obviously will rumors will start circulating.

Mina: Someone's taking it seriously. Isn't that the Astronomer Royal, that Stent fellow?

There was a group of people forming at the other side of the crater. One of them though ti was hard to tell if it was Stent himself, was holding a flag.

The two men next to the gory were speaking among themselves.

"D-Did you see a man in the pit? That chap that fell..."

Griffin: I-I think Miss Harker's right. That's Stent with the white flag.

He was a well dressed man holding the makeshift symbol of surrender, though it was in this situation a symbol of peace. An elderly man in priest's clothing was being brought forward.

Griffin: I think the clergyman might be that Reverend Harding who writes to the newspapers so often...

Bond: Those fools aren't authorized to make an approach. What do they think they're doing?

Harding was being helped along, lagging behind.

"Steady, old fellow. I've got you.

Stent led the party, waving the flag.

Stent: It's alright, everyone. I-I think our chap's spotted us.

The creature stayed in the shadow but waved its tentacles about in place.

Stent: I say, you there! Peace eh?

The group approached it, but it did not move from its spot. It's appearance seemed evil.

Stent: We come in peace...

The League ran to the Edge, stopping upon it and leaning to see.

Bond:What's happening? Are they talking to that thing? I can't see them below the edge of the pit.

Griffin leaned in.

Griffin: You could always step closer...

Mina: Actually, one of us should go and observe. I'll...

Allan: No one is getting near...

Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a quantity of luminous greenish smoke came out of the pit in three distinct puffs, which drove up, one after the other, straight into the still air.

Allan:...that...

In the crater, from the cylinder a strange device had emerged. it's purpose no one could identify, but it seemed to be examining Stent. He held up the flag proudly.

Stent: I am Stent. They called me crazy. I believed in you.

If the thing was an eye it seemed to narrow.

Stent: I gazed into the Crystal egg and eyes looked back at me...Envious eyes...Evil eye...Your eyes.

The Reverend began to mutter to himself, holding up his bible like a shield.

Stent: I stopped you before. I know your weakness. If you are evil. I will stop you. Who am I...Am the Royal Astronomer...I am Sir Nevil Stent!

As he raved, he seemed to fail to notice that green flame was beginning to ignite on spots of his body and hair.

"I am Conqueror of Mars!"

He held his fists out like a prize winning champion, and burst into green flame.

"STENT!"

Shouted a man beside him who met a similar fate. All four men who had accompanied him burst into green flame with the exception of the Reverend, who held out his bible and muttered to himself. he shouted a the invaders:

" And I will dwell in the House of the Lord!"

And he burst into flame as well.

The strange device rose into the air on a massive wire, until it made contact with the onlookers on the crater's edge. It seemed to look directly at the League.

Nemo:Get Down!

Nemo tackeld Allan and Mina, the rest of the League and Bond followed and took cover.

...the group of bystanders...among these were a couple of cyclists, two police offers one of which was on horseback, a jobbing gardener, a girl carrying a baby, Gregg the butcher, his little boy, two or three loafers and golf caddies who were accustomed to hang about the railway station, and several, stood together. On of them pointed and al turned to the newest development of the creator. Small burst of fire appeared on them A man's red hair. A young girl carrying her baby sibling, who was set a blaze and cried. A woman's dress. A man's coat, another's top hat. The hand of the man who had pointed, as he did so, patches of the grass and a dog's nose.

From the outside of the area surrounding the crater, a wave of flame was forming as the object moved, forming a circle, destroying everything in its path.

A man's hat was on fire. One of the constable's galloped away as his back and his horse was on fire. The steed's face had been reduced to a skull. A young girl cried as her mom picked her up. She screamed more as he mother's face was burned to a skull. A rather large woman ran. He hands had been reduced to stumps by fire. The same fate had befallen a young girl though she had more left and was now staring at her skeletal hands. A bald man's head was on fire.A top hat and coat wearing man's everything was on fire. A woman pedaled on a bicycle while she burned. An old woman's hair was set ablaze.

The League had taken cover but all around them was pure chaos. A daughter ran to her mother. He hair burned like a candle. Her mother held her skeletal white hands out and let out an agonized sound as her skeletal fan opened to speak. She had kept her hair and hat on despite this. The screams everywhere persisted. Animals such as dogs and pigs ran screaming while on fire along with people.

Forthwith flashes of actual flame, a bright glare leaping from one to another, sprang from the scattered groups of men. It was as if some invisible jet impinged upon them and flashed into white flame. It was as if each man were suddenly and momentarily turned to fire.

Then, by the light of their own destruction, they began staggering and falling, and their supporters turning to run.

One man stood staring, not as yet realising that this was death leaping from man to man in that little distant crowd. All he felt was that it was something very strange. An almost noiseless and blinding flash of light, and a man fell headlong and lay still; and as the unseen shaft of heat passed over them, pine trees burst into fire, and every dry furze bush became with one dull thud a mass of flames. And far away towards Knaphill was the flashes of trees and hedges and wooden buildings suddenly set alight.

It was sweeping round swiftly and steadily, this flaming death, this invisible, inevitable sword of heat. The man perceived it coming towards him by the flashing bushes it touched, and was too astounded and stupefied to stir. He heard the crackle of fire in the sand pits and the sudden squeal of a horse that was as suddenly stilled. Then it was as if an invisible yet intensely heated finger were drawn through the heather between him and the Martians, and all along a curving line beyond the sand pit the dark ground smoked and crackled. Something fell with a crash far away to the left where the road from Woking station opens out on the common. Forthwith the hissing and humming ceased, and the black, dome-like object sank slowly out of sight into the pit.

The League stayed down. Mina coughed.

An eye opened. It was not Jekyll's.

Bond:What?

He'd not seen the transformation in person though he knew of it.

The creature's companions stood back in shock. Hyde stood up and roared while pounding his chest which was littered with white pieces of shredded clothing.

"YOU BASTARRRDS! You Sky-Wog BASTARDS! I'll EAT you!"

Allan: Oh, Dear Lord. Not now...

Bond seemed to be stuck in a stupor.

Hyde moved forward. Mina and Allan held his arms. Neo stood in front of him.

Nemo: Hyde, that's enough! We have to get off of the common now!

Hyde: NO! I'll tear out your brains, you slimy buggers! I'll trample your hearts!

Mina struggled with the arm too big for her.

Mina:No,sir, you will not! You are not fireproof, Nor do I believe you to be stupid!

Bond began to snap out of his catatonia.

Bond:Wh-When did he change?

Allan: I don't know. Probably when that thing started firing. Miss Harker? Are you all right with him?

She was still grabbing the arm.

Mina:Of course I am. Now, Mr. Hyde, will you please escort us fro this hellish place?

Hyde:I...

He froze and Mina let go of his arm trustingly.

Hyde:..All right. But they needn't think I've forgotten them!

He shouted this last part at the crater. There was no response. Griffin picked up a a stick with a burning end and used it to light his cigarette.

Mina turned away.

Mina: I am certain they'll think nothing of the sort. Now come along...

She grabbed Hyde and began pulling him in her direction. He seemed to be allow herself to be guided. The rest of the League and Bond began walking away through the burning woods.

Allan: Nemo, that device. What was it? It's practically sterilized the common...

Nemo: I don't know. Some invisible beam of heat, perhaps, although the notion seems incredible.

They walked passed a wagon with bottles in a basket and a coat left behind burning.

Bond's hair was messed and he was still in shock.

Bond: It's all incredible. I can hardly take it in. I-if that thing's truly from another world, then...

Mina: Sir, it hardly appeared Prussian.

Griffin: It is my belief that we must assume the worst and plan accordingly.

Bond:Yes. Yes, you're right. Notify the army and so forth.

The group walked away from the glowing light of the fire and towards the road. A Horse and buggy were waiting along with four men. The side of the carriage bore the Free Mason symbol. One of the men held the horse.

"Oh, sod me. Look Sharp. It's fatso and his circus turns. They're alive.:

The speaker held up a lantern and illuminated their faces in a circle of orange light.

" , Sir? What happened on the common? We saw the green lights and the fires..."

Bond: Everyone's dead. Whatever's in the pit is hostile. I shall require a carriage back to the city for myself, and nearby lodgings for my associates.

"Th-There's an inn just up the road, Sir, but...

Bond: Splendid. Miss Harker, these moneys should prove more than sufficient to secure overnight quarters for your party.

He held out a small pouch.

Mina: We've bee here all day! You cannot mean for us to spend the night here, too?

Bond: I'll need you to watch the common's perimeter until I can get the army out here and in position.

He turned towards the open carriage door.

Bond: Great god, what a mess..What a mess.

He turned back to the group.

Bond:G-Good luck to you all.

There was sadness and concern in his voice. It appeared to be genuine.

The lid closed. There was the cracking of a whip.

Coachman: GYAA! YAAARR!

The carriage moved away. The League members scowled at him. Hyde cracked his knuckles. Mina tossed the back up and down.

Mina:Hmmph. A vile jelly if ever I saw one. Well I'd expect we best find the inn that the constable mentioned and make ourselves comfortable. It might be preferable if any talking of negotiations were left to me.

The Inn was titled the Bleak House and was just outside of Woking. There was a pole with a sign bearing the place's name. It was white with a red tiled roof and the words "FINE ALES" written above a window. Mina just happened to have spotted a couple leaving, who were the proprietors of the establishment. Their possessions were being carried by a mule in a large tower topped by hat boxes and a potted plant. The man was a a skinny fellow with a big mustache and a bowler hat. His wife stared at the Inn solemly, perhaps said to see it go. Her husband on the other hand smiled at Mina, perhaps out of politeness, They then set off on their way with their cart pulled the Donkey, passing a stone reading "WOKING 1M". Mina walked back to the group.

Mina: They say we can do whatever we like with the place. Having heard about the uproar in the common, they were just about to leave anyway. I suppose we might as well go inside and choose our rooms.

Nemo performed a perimeter check, waling about the area. His teammates settled in the lobby. Hyde began to move furniture around, insisting that he needed space. Mina went upstairs with a lantern. Griffin helped himself to the alcohol once he found where it was kept.

Mina found her room and placed her lantern on a nightstand. The words: IN GOD WE TRUST were carved onto the wall and there was a cross. Settled in, she made her way downstairs, passing by Nemo. The Indian Prince had hung his coat and rolled up his sleeves, now moving the mattress to his liking.

In the lobby. Hyde appeared to had made a type of pillow fort out of all the soft furniture. Griffin took a shot and Allan was admiring a set of guns including a revolver and a shotgun hang up on the wall. Mina went outside and sat on a bench. She looked up at the stars. Where once she could look up at them in wonder, today had changed all that.

"Hello,"

Allan had spoken.

Allan: Mind if I join you?

Mina: Not at all...Although I may not be the most sparkling of companions just at present. I think I may be in a shock.

Allan: To be honest, I think we all are. Up in my room a moment ago, I started shaking like a leaf. All...this...It's unbelievable isn't it?

Mina: Yes. I was just looking at the sky...

Mina: She looked back up to the sky.

Mina: It just struck me that...well, that it won't ever be the same, after this. It can't be. I always thought of it as something that sheltered humanity, but now it frightens me, .

It frightens me.

Allan: it's strange. I feel as if I had a dream about those things. I think you were in it too, and so way Hyde. I could have sworn I saw him...

There was the sound of an army marching, approaching the Inn.

At About eleven a company of soldiers came through Horsell, and deployed along the edge of the common to form a cordon. Later a second company marched through Chobham to deploy on the north side of the common. Several officers from the Inkerman barracks had been on the common earlier in the day, and one, Major Eden, was reported to be missing. The colonel of the regiment came to the Chobham bridge and was busy questioning the crowd at midnight. The military authorities were certainly alive to the seriousness of the business. About eleven, the next morning's papers were able to say, a squadron of hussars, two Maxims, and about four hundred men of the Cardigan regiment started from Aldershot.

The troops shown were wearing the standard-issue British Home Service uniform. They would see use in the approaching Boer War if England survived. In foreign service, a white pith helmet was worn instead of the black home service helmet they wore now. Metal spikes portruded from the helmets; this was, Mina thought, an older style, no longer in use until now in 1898 where Britain was seeing combat. The weapons carried by the soldiers were Lee-Metfords or Lee-Enfields. They were bolt-actions "magazine rifles" that replaced the venerable Martini-Henry single-shot in the early 1890's. The Lee-Metford had Metford rifling, which was adequate for black-powder cartridges; the Lee-Enfield had Enfield rifling, which was necessary to deal with the smokeless-powder catridges introduced at around the same time. Externally, both rifles were identical. If a World War did erupt, all British soldiers would carry Lee-Enfields.

The men in red coats marched. Alongside them on his horse rode their leader.

"Ahh. You must be the military intelligence wallah we were told to expect."

He saluted.

"Major Horatio Blimp at your service. This mob are from Inkerman Barracks, sent to guard the common."

Blimp was no enthusiast for democracy. He was impatient with the common people and their complaints. His remedy to social unrest was less education, so that people could not read about slumps. An extreme isolationist, disliking foreigners (which included Jews, Irish, Scots, Welsh, and people from the Colonies and Dominions); a man of violence, approving war. He had no use for the League of Nations nor for international efforts to prevent wars. In particular he objected to any economic reorganization of world resources involving changes in the status quo.

"Hear we've got a hole there. Dashed big Mice around these parts, what?"

Mina: The hole contains something far deadlier than a mouse. I wouldn't go near it. Are any other troops expected?

Major Blimp: I should say so. There's a company marching up through Chobham, to cover the Common's north edge. Also, I gather that about now the Cardiff Regiment are setting out from Aldershot. They'll have Maxim guns.

Mina:I see. Well, Carry on, Major. I hope your resources are sufficient to the task, for your sake. For all our sakes.

Major Blimp: Don't you fret, Ma'am. It'll all be over come Monday Morning. Cheerio!

The Major was not alone in this belief. Many citizens were of the opinion that the troops would be able to capture or to destroy the Martians during the day (i.e. the Sunday following the first use of the Heat Ray)." people who had not seen the Martians themselves had an overly optimistic impression of how easily they would be defeated.

Him and his men marched off. Mina and Allan watched until they vanished from sight.

Mina: I have a terrible feeling. Those men...Most of them are going to die, aren't they?

Allan: we don't know that.

Mina:...Let's go back inside. It's rather chilly for the time of year don't you think?

The group passed the time. Mina stood contemplating everything. Griffin sipped from his glass. Hyde stared out the window. Nemo and Allan played a bored game with matches. Nemo presented six matchsticks and laid them down like so.

! ! ! ! ! !

Nemo presented Allan with five matchsticks.

Nemo: Add Five to the Six matchsticks to make Nine.

Allan contemplated this and then pushed the matchsticks towards him.

Soon a horrible noise began that could be heard from the Inn.

Nearby, unknown to the group, a curious crowd lingered restlessly, people coming and going but the crowd remaining, both on the Chobham and Horsell bridges. One or two adventurous souls, it was afterwards found, went into the darkness and crawled quite near the Martians; but they never returned, for now and again a light-ray, like the beam of a warship's searchlight swept the common, and the Heat-Ray was ready to follow. Save for such, that big area of common was silent and desolate, and the charred bodies lay about on it all night under the stars, and all the next day. A noise of hammering from the pit was heard by many people.

Hyde stared out the window.

Hyde:Snot with arms. That's what they looked like. All that buggering noise and clanging from the common. If I listen to much more, I shall cripple something.

Allan: I thought that racket was the army.

Allan shifted back to face Nemo across from him. The Five matchsticks had been rearranged with the six.

! \\! ! ! \\! !-

Nemo: An Army perhaps, but not yours. England has no device that sounds like that under construction. Even I have nothing that sounds like that.

Mina: Do you suppose the creature is building something?

Nemo: I would think that very likely. In its position, I would no doubt be assembling some means of leaving the crater. If it...

"GREAT CHRIST AND ALL HIS ANGELS!..."

Griffin stood in the doorway, having seen something that spooked him.

Mina:Griffin? What is it?

Griffin:...I really couldn't say...you'd all best come and look.

A Green comet had lit up the night sky.

A few seconds after midnight the crowd in the Chertsey road, Woking, saw a star fall from heaven into the pine woods to the northwest. It had a greenish colour, and caused a silent brightness like summer lightning.

Mina:I-is that..?

Allan:Pound to a penny it's another cylinder. Looks like its falling towards Woking or somewhere...

Hyde: Long way to come just to conquer Woking.

Nemo: I fear, , That should any more of these tin cans topple for the sky then we may all find ourselves on the losing side.

Griffin's green glasses seemed to flicker with inspiration.

 **Later...  
**  
There was a light coming from the window of the Bleak House. The stars shined above. Mina with a lantern inspected the rooms. Allan and Nemo shared a room and were sound asleep. Griffin placed his glasses on the desk. He slept in his bandages. Mina made her way down to the only light still on. Hyde's room. She turned the corner and saw his hands and legs. He was sitting up.

" I know you're there. I can smell you. Couldn't sleep either, eh? You might as well come in. I'm not doing anything in particular.

Mina: Just a moment, then. I had thought it your custom to repel companionship?

Hyde: It's just the Darkies, Opium-sots and snickering Lunatics that I can't stand. You're all right.

Mina pulled up a chair.

Mina: I fear that you are somewhat harsh about our fellows, . What makes you think me any better?

Hyde: Call me Edward. I don't know. Frankly, it confuses me and makes me furious with you. Sometimes I think I should just rape you and behead you. But a voice in me still fiercer than my own tells me if I did that, I must next take my life. It's puzzling.

Mina watched him nervously.

Mina: Perhaps that is the voice of Jekyll.

Hyde: No...No anymore. I believe Henry is dead.

This took Mina by surprise.

Mina:How?

Edward: Perhaps you would have expected me to change back to the little shit by now. It happened quietly, under the martian attack.

Mina: Jekyll didn't survive the first attack.

"But Edward Hyde did."

There was a mirror hanging on a wall.

Edward: I used to look in the mirror and see Henry looking back at me..But now...I only see myself.

Mina:...I'm sorry...

Edward: Don't be. Good riddance to that weakling. I think he knew it would come to this. When only the dark half remained. That's why he tried to destroy us and himself with me. He failed of course and I grew bigger and stronger. I waited for the day when I finally won. I thought he was the source of these feelings for you, but now that he's gone. Why are they still here?

Mina missed Jekyll and closed her eyes in mourning. He had been the group's first casualty in the Martian Invasion.

Hyde: Perhaps it is that I would then have killed the only living thing that did not fear me. D'you think that's it?

He stroked his large chin like a scholar.

Mina: Y-You would be quite mistaken sir. I fear you very much.

Hyde:Perhaps. Perhaps you do. But not like all the others I believe you do not hate me. I believe...

He appeared to have reached a moment of clarity.

"You've met someone worse than me."

Mina said nothing but reached towards her neck, touching her scarf.

Hyde: I thought as much. Miss Harker, though I am a beast, do not think that I am stupid. I know that I am hideous and hateful. I am not loved, nor ever hope to be. Nor am I fool enough to think that what I feel for you is love. But in this world, alone, I do not hate you...And Alone in this world, you do not hate me. Tell me one thing at least...Does he still live. This beast that you fear so much.

Mina: He was dead to begin with.

Hyde's eyes widened.

Edward: I...I would be grateful if you left me now. Go quickly. Go before I break your jaw.

Mina took her lamp and walked quickly out of the room. She passed by Griffin's room where a blanket covered a lamp wrapped in bandages.

A single room was lit in the Bleak House as invisible footprints made their way from the home. It walked passed the army as it had stationed itself in the woods, setting up tents.

The footprints walked towards the crater, which emitted a bright green light. Skeletal corpses littered the ash surrounding the crater like sand. A branch cracked in two. Several rocks fell crumbled downward.

"Shit!"

human sized imprints appeared rolling through the ash littered sand. There were other corps inside, no doubt those which had belonged to the welcoming party. the rolling stopped. the footprints resumed. A bright green light emerged from an opening in the cylinder. At the entrance three of tentacled creatures moved their tendrils about and began to moved back into the light.

"Aheheh"

The creatures turned.

"Good Evening."

the creatures let out strange hideous sounds.

"There, now, don't get upset. I'm going to draw you a picture."

A stone was picked up. And a large circle was drawn in the sand, followed by four smaller others. Above the fourth circle was a stick figure, above the fifth was a small circle with lines drawn from it symbolizing tentacles.

"There. Something even lumps of afterbirth like you should understand."

"See? There's the sun, then Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars."

"Out of Earth comes us chaps."

"Out of Mars come you chaps."

Another stick figure was drawn next to the other one.

"Now here's me. I'm one of us chaps...But you can't see me."

The stone floated down and erased the second figure until it was scratched out in the sand.

"Now, Here's what I think: you're going to give mankind a good dusting down."

The stick figure was crossed out with an "X".

"And you're going to win."

"With me so far?"

"You're going to rule the Earth. Look I've drawn a little Afterbirth above, the earth, ruling it."

"You see? Just there...Next to me."

"You're going to rule the Earth next to me."


	3. And the Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder

_Saturday morning: Woken from awful dreams...something about Jonathan(?)...we remained in boredom for most of the day until the troops at Horsell common began shelling the crater at about six in the evening._

 _At our inn, we dressed and hurried downstairs as quickly as we could, only to find already risen. He was helping himself to a morning glass of wine and standing outside. We all rushed outside. Hyde had wrapped several sheets over himself. Allan and Nemo were in loose shirts. All of us had looks of pure exhaustion and half closed eyes except for Griffin though since I couldn't see his eyes it may have only been my assessment._

 _Apparently the second cylinder, whose descent we'd witnessed had crashed in a Byfleet Golf Links in Surrey, precipitating a military response._

 _The artillery boom was deafening, going on and on. In the eerie silence that followed, I remember thinking "That's it. It's over."_

A great fire roared in the forest. Soldiers and Horse heads were sent flying. The faces of the men turned into skulls. A commander on a horse was ignited in green light, becoming a skeleton in a uniform, riding a skeletal horse. The gentlemen on horseback, with the very silly hats, were more Hussars. One with a telescope had the Carbine-version of the Lee-Metford hanging from his saddle. He was wearing the home-service uniform. A gunner was holding a shell for the twelve-pounder. It could have been worse; as recently as the Crimean War, the British were still using muzzle-loading black-powder cannons.

A Hussar; a type of very pretty light cavalry introduced during the Napoleonic Wars and totally obsolete was attempting to lead the charge. There is a british artillery team, aiming what appeared to be an Armstrong 12-Pounder. The 12-pounder was a breech-loading field artillery of the men attempted to load the pounder. One of them watched as his skin burned away and his face became a skull. The man carrying the cannon shot had green fire burst from his now empty eye sockets while his organs burst out of him.

Major Blimp, made a big target of himself. Men like him had an extremely short life expectancy in South Africa, Normally rival forces opened fire at officers and worked their way down through the ranks until their British opponents were a demoralized, leaderless rabble. The Martians seemed to take a more egalitarian approach; everybody runs an equal risk of incineration. Blimp ran away and terror.

 _Evidently, this was far from the case._

 **Chapter Three: And the Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder**

Despite all technical innovations, the military's equipment and tactics were inferior to those of their foes. This was not surprising. The Army was one of the most conservative bodies on earth; they could be expected to resist most innovations but not any foe. It could also be noted that the engagement between the Aliens and Major Blimp's men was no bloodier or more stupid than most of the coming battles of WWI, where high-explosive rounds and machine guns made mincemeat of mere human beings.

Mina Harker: "Dear god. Those great black belches of smoke from the common...Are those our artillery positions?"

Allan Quatermain: "But...How could they pinpoint our guns so accurately? So quickly?"

Mina Harker: "I...I don't know. Perhaps…"

Griffin took a sip of wine and chuckled

Griffin: "Obviously they possess superhuman intelligence. Predicting such things would be child's play for…"

Hyde thought he saw something and turned around towards the house. The roof was on fire.

There was a huge burst of flame and the house was engulfed.

Nemo: "Great Agni…"

Mina Harker: "If...If we stayed inside a moment longer…"

Allan: "But...I mean that heat device. How can it possibly reach this far?"

Nemo: "Someone approaches from the direction of the common…"

A Carriage was coming towards them down the road. It stopped in front of them.

"Are you the Harker group?"

Mina: "I am Wilhelmina Harker, and these gentlemen are my associates. You've come from Whitehall, I presume?"

"I delivered orders to open fire. I'd instructions to return you to London if things went badly."

Griffin: Are we to take it that's how thing have gone then? Badly?

"Just get in the coach."

 _Later, we learned that almost all of those poor men on the common were destroyed just moment after they had fired upon the crater. Major Blimp was among the survivors._

 _Shelling the second cylinder, at Byfleet in Surrey, met with similar results._

 _I still can't believe this is happening._

 _It seemed the heat-at-a-distance machine had combusted church spires and chimneys even in villages far from the common._

 _One place that we passed through called Maybury, seemed wholly in uproar._

 _Evacuating family homes, people crammed possessions into suitcases, perambulators on handcarts, and fled for their lives. Most visible to me was a Ms. Wells among the fleeing._

 _There was a red-coated gentlemen. He, and ayoung lady dressed in pink to whom he was about to present a bouquet of flowers. As if he feared he would not get the chance. I had an urge to be with Jonathan._

 _As our Taciturn coachman drove us back to London and our sanctuary at the Museum, we ourselves were likewise silent, until I took it upon myself to reveal the information I'd learned last night._

 _Hyde glowering(that extraordinary confession last did it mean?) Nemo planning. Allan restless and unsettled, Griffin apparently unconcerned._

 _Allan confessed to us a Nightmare he once had. Before I met him he had become obsessed with the drug Tanuki, which reportedly allowed one to live out passed lives. The last time he'd indulged in the drug it had not worked as intended and instead provided him with spotted views of the future which he could not attach meaning to. But left him with a terrible prediction about our current situation._

 _Not all of us would survive this._

 **The British Museum**

The group entered the Museum and had a moment to look around, inspecting the odd sights and conducting research they hoped would yield results on how to best their foreign enemy.

Mina began reading a book. "Apergy 1880". Apergy was a "repellant force" akin to Cavorite that worked very much like Antigravity. Evidently it had teleported the book's author to Mars. The Same Apergy had created a map of Mars within the same date visible in the museum. Mina hoped there was something useful to be found in this.

Nemo's attention was turned to a photograph of labeled " Baltimore Gun Club 1865", taken of their attempt to travel to the moon. He entertained the idea that the Martians had been shot to the planet by a cannon, given the bullet shape of the cylinder. The Gun Club used a giant artillery piece to fire a manned projectile to the moon, of course it revolved around and returned to Earth as a failure, but the french were working on a similar method of travel, seeking to repeat the process but with success, of course to rival Britain's own Cavorite fueled attempts.

Among the other objects which interested him in the research, aside from a portrait of Augustus Bedloe and his expedition to the Ragged Mountains outside Charlottesville, which only intrigued Allan as it concerned the mention of an out of body experience not unlike his own. He wondered if there was a way to reach Mars and destroy the invaders from the source. This astral projection seemed, which the Tanuki had brought about in him, left the body behind,creating an identical duplicate elsewhere.

Below the portrait of Augustus Bedloe was a model of a submarine which Nemo inspected and nodded slightly his approval. His readings on the object yielded that is was in fact a spacecraft still in the making, proposed by Professor Hartley Rennick,along with voyagers Rollo Lenox Smeaton, Aubrey( the Earl of Redgrave) and Lilla Rennick. This voyage was intended for Mars. Yet another attempt at space travel. There was a sphere of black metal, a prototype for a method to reach Mars. England had everything for a counter invasion but nothing for a defense.

Mina's attention turned to a cat statue in the room, which was a high sale item. The object in question belonged had belonged to Dorian Gray before his mysterious disappearance, or death depending on your government credentials. It was in the museum as a tribute to a fallen Leaguer of the past. The cat was a statute of Bast (Bastet); the rings in the nose and ears were a giveaway. She might have been a protector of women, such as Mina and her priestesses wore red, once again like Mina. However Bastet had become a favorite of cat-lovers and New Age types so there's a lot of incorrect and obscuring information around it The black cat on the pedestal had a placard reading, "C. Cave, Naturalist and Dealer." Manuscripts from Sebastian Moran revealed to be an alias employed by Professor Moriarty during his schemes. Mina thought he might have been a real fellow murdered and replaced, just as the Professor had done to another teacher named Rathe.

There was an upside down scabbard with the word "Phra" inscribed on it which interested Allan and Mina for only a moment.

Griffin viewed a white rabbit taxidermied to stand upright inside a glass jar, wearing a jacket and holding a watch. He read about it, inspecting it to be a Hoax. He was instead told that it had been retrieved during another expedition to a subterranean world and that it was of unknown origin, having been ruled out as being of "Moreauvian Origin" whatever that meant. It hailed from the realm which a Miss A.L. titled "Wonderland". In glass cases in similar condition was a frog footman and a mouse garbed in clothing identical to those worn by English citizens, bearing a newspaper of the "Daily Nibbler" declaring BASIL OF BAKER STREET AND PROFESSOR RATIGAN FEARED DEAD FOLLOWING FALL FROM SEWER PIPE." There was also a Penguin in a suit, said to originate from another realm as well. Other objets claiming to be from Wonderland included a Hookah Pipe, the corpse of what appeared to be a playing card with a head and arms, and a grinning purplish cat. The hookah appeared to be hooked up to the pump/valve at the top of the 2 of Spades' bell implication seemed to be that hallucinogenic substances were being extracted from the body of the cardman which might also explain its advanced state of decay as opposed to the Cheshire Cat or the White Rabbit. Near the cat was an odd suit said to be worn be Spring Heeled Jack, and designed by a man named Falke.

There was a roman Centurion helmet bearing the name Lapidus in Roman with a corresponding portrait. Alongside it was a suit of Armor from the Arthurian era wore by a Sir Hank Morgan of "Connet-tickut". There was a wooden mallet which upon further inspection appeared to be a wooden puppet head. The plaque labeled as Pinocchio and stated that upon becoming a real boy, he had left his wooden body behind. Which was for a time presented in the British museum, normally being a permanent exhibit in an Italian Museum. From Germany there was a red hood worn by a young girl, among the very few to have survived being eaten alive from a monstrous Wolf descendant of Fenrir. Sherlock's Holmes''s Green Gown(generously donated),a bust of Pallas Athena that had once hung in Edgar Allan Poe's home, and the lamp used by Aladdin though now reduced to just that, its occupant free.

Mycroft Holmes's favorite room to conduct business it seem contained a bust of Baron munchausen, from the ceiling was a large fist of Mesozoic origins, possibly from the Lidenbrock Sea or perhaps Nemo caught it off the Comoros islands or the coast of Madagascar. A skeletal figure was set up as if leaping from one pedestal to another. His upper body appeared human but his legs were as long as stils. His plaque read a poem:

There was an Old Man of Coblenz

The length of whose legs was immense

He went with one prance

From Turkey to France

That surprising Old Man of Coblenz.

-1846.

Allan noted the coffin and the corpse of the first man to discover King Solomon's Mines in 1590 before him, next to a razor labelled: "Kettlewell, Yorkshire, Mr. W. C. Cording."

It occured to the group that there was a wall of objects dedicated to passed League members in addition to their photographs. Baron Munchausen must have been a member. There was also a stature of the Reverend. Dr Syn. who crossed his arms, holding weapons in each and statues of other leagues of the 18th century, proceeding to the horrific visage of a figure in a painting dubbed with the name "Dorian Gray" with a horrible visage upon it. The plaque labeled it as a replica of what the Painting is believed to have originally looked like.

Before the League could explore its own history further. Mycroft Holmes entered through a creaking door, along with Diogenes Club members Beauregard,Genevieve and Campion Bond at his side.

Mycroft Holmes: "Is it war, then?"

Allan Quatermain: "Bloody difficult seeing what else could it be"

Mina Harker: "I fear this is no idle sortie, I fear that the word we are all avoiding is 'invasion', we hear another cylinder landed in Surrey"

Mycroft Holmes: "Hm...Byfleet Golf links...We are shelling it now."

Mycroft looked concerned

Mycroft Holmes "I should advise to not make a mention of the invasion. The panic alone could cause riots, turbulence, killing hundreds. Whereas despite this heat device, casualties will be limited, the creatures are evidently unable to leave their craters."

Dr. Hawley Griffin: "Aheh...Good job, that would be dreadful, so what are our plans?"

Mycroft Holmes: "For the moment, you will observe and remain flexible. Wait and see what this creatures do next...Mr. Bond here has charts of our proposed artillery positions, with which you will familiarise yourselves...Mr. Bond?"

Bond grabbed an envelope and handed it to Mina

Campion Bond: "Here. Please don't let these leave the museum, they are highly secret."

Mina glared at him remembering the Cavorite incident and grabbed the envelope.

Mina Harker: "I scarcely think I require lessons on national security from you sir"

She Turned to Mycroft

Mina Harker: "Mr. Holmes, might you be detailed concerning our instructions?"

Mycroft Holmes: "You, madam, should study our war plans, and learn what you can from our enemy. Read about Mars, for example. Some or all of your comrades should venture south of the river again, on Reconnaissance"

Mycroft turned away. Several Masonic symbols on chains swung around, calling attention to them.

Mycroft Holmes: "Later, I may have more specific missions in mind for some of you. Let us see how things develop.

Allan Quatermain: "What? You mean us chaps have to go back to Horsell? I hope you are providing transport!"

Mycroft Holmes: "Naturally. You will have the same coach you arrived in. The driver, Mr. William Samson Senior, is one of our best men, distinguished himself fighting the Mad Mahdi"

Mina Harker: "Sir? What are England's chances in this conflict?"

Mycroft made a pause before continuing

Mycroft Holmes: "As with the Mahdi uprisings, Miss Harker, we must remain optimistic…"

Quatermain realized what Mycroft meant with this sentence immediately. The "Mad Mahdi" was a muslim religious leader of a movement against the Egyptians ruling the Mahdi's native Sudan. His goal brought in in conflict with British forces, which led to the Battle of El Obeid, on 5 November 1883, in which the Mahdi's forces wiped out completely an Egyptian force led by General William Hicks.

This defeat was shocking to the British public, as was the defeat six weeks later of another Egyptian force led by the British rogue Valentine Baker, but neither horrified Britain so badly as the taking of Khartoum on 26 January 1885, in which General "Chinese" Gordon and the entire British garrison of Khartoum were massacred. (Naturally, the British retaliated, sending then Major General Sir William Samson and 26,000 men to hunt down the Mahdi's successor and wipe the Mahdist dervishes out at the Battle of Omdurman.) It was an understatement to guess that Mycroft was basically saying the martians had the advantage. Quartermain kept his thoughts to himself.

Mycroft Holmes: "Hmm...Do you know. I believe it's coming on to rain...I doubt it will amount to much"

As time passed dark clouds came overheard of the museum. Mina was at the desk reading over the plans and the written books on Mars, including the aforementioned "Apergy 1880". She brought up glasses to her eyes. Allan entered the room and took his hat off.

Allan Quatermain: "um...We're just going out, then. Filthy bloody weather for it, I must say. You'll be all right here on your own? You wouldn't rather i…?"

Mina Harker: " This is fascinating. Do you know Mars has very little gravity in comparison to earth? No wonder those things could hardly move."

She realized she had been asked a question.

Mina Harker: "Oh...no. I'm all right. You all go on."

Allan Quatermain: "Right. Cheerio, then."

Allan left, passing by the bust of former League Member and French Revolution hero Sir Percival Blakeney.

The members of the League exited the british museum and went towards their carriage, as Mycroft instructed, leaded by William Samson Sr.

Allan Quatermain: "Hullo. I suppose it's off to face that blasted heat device again, huh?"

Mr. Hyde: "Good. I want one of those Slug-Men to play with"

William Samson Sr.: "There´ll be none of that. I´ve got orders not to go within sightline of the crater"

Mr. Hyde: "Huhhn?! You´re telling ME what to do, you little arse-pimple?!"

Allan Quatermain: "Hyde, for god's sake"

Despite Hyde´s threats, William Samson remained unfazed.

William Samson Sr.: "That´s right. I´m telling you what to do. And I´ve killed pathans and kurds uglier than you in my time. Now get in the coach"

Mr. Hyde: "ooOOOooh"

As Hyde entered inside, William Samson Sr. started riding the carriage

The Carriage was forced to move through a crowd. People were pushed to make way by police officers. Upon closer inspection they were not panicking but rather soliciting, selling things such as Dioramas, Anti-Stiff, and newspapers including comic strips of " _Chips_ "

Captain Nemo: "I must confess, I admire the british people´s bravery with horror at their doorstep, they seem unconcerned."

Allan Quatermain: "Huh, hardly unconcerned. More blinkered, I´d have said. Pretending everything´is tickety-boo, Nemo. It's the great british pastime"

Mr. Hyde: "Our driver´s a damned coward, I know that much. Refusing to go near that slug-pit"

Captain Nemo: "On the contrary. Hearing him speak to you, I did not think him cowardly"

Allan Quatermain: "Holmes said Samson was a Mahdi veteran, and that we should remain optimistic, as we did then. Actually, the mahdi revolt´s a perfect example of England´s complacency. We warred on a culture we didn't understand..."

Allan made a pause as thunder clashed, engulfing the inside in white light.

"...And we were massacred…"

The Carriage proceeded even as the rain turned into a thunderstorm. Lightning flashed. A dog tied to a bedpost left on a grassy hill barked as they traveled. By. Suitcases were abandoned on the street along with the head of a broken doll and newspapers on the invasion.

Mr. Hyde: "Hunngh. What´s the point of all this, if we´re not going near that damn crater?"

Captain Nemo: "Presumably we are observing conditions here. The hamlet of maybury, for example, is quite deserted."

Allan Quatermain: "Wait a minute...Where´s Griffin?"

There was another white flash.

Captain Nemo: "I assumed he stayed at the museum. Holmes did not specify that we should all accompany this reconnaissance"

Allan Quatermain: "I...I suppose not"

Mr. Hyde: "This pissing storm's getting worse. Let's hope that little bastard´s horses don´t-"

Suddenly the carriage stopped so suddenly, Nemo, Quatermain and Hyde were jolted forward and sent tumbling in their small space. All three stepped out of the cart to address the driver.

Captain Nemo: "Driver, what are you doing? You almost turned us over!"

William Samson Sr: "That last lightning flash...I thought I saw something!"

Allan Quatermain: "W-what's that noise, beneath the thunder? It's almost as if-"

They both stopped to see a monstrous tripod, higher than many houses, striding over the young pine trees, and smashing them aside in its career; a walking engine of glittering metal, striding now across the heather; articulate ropes of steel dangling from it, and the clattering tumult of its passage mingling with the riot of the thunder. A flash, and it came out vividly, heeling over one way with two feet in the air, to vanish and reappear almost instantly as it seemed, with the next flash, a hundred yards nearer. Can you imagine a milking stool tilted and bowled violently along the ground? That was the impression those instant flashes gave. But instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand.

Quatermain quickly grabbed his gun

Mr. Hyde: "God's balls"

William Samson Sr: "BACK! Get back inside the coach!"

Allan Quatermain: "It...It's like a milking stool..."

William Samson Sr: "Just get in! We have to get word back to london!"

The League members do so as instructed, as William Samson Jr. went back to his horse

William Samson Sr: "Come on, giddap! YAAA!"

The carriage took off back towards London and the museum. A large metallic leg slammed down where it had been a moment ago, splitting a tree in half and sending splinters everywhere as the machine gave chase.

 _Meanwhile at the British Museum_

Mina was calmly reading a few books about Mars as Mycroft Holmes instructed, to understand the situation a bit better. Every once in a while she would stare and at the bust across from her of the Great Detective and wondered What Would Sherlock Holmes do? But coming up with no answer. Across was also a large beautiful androgyne malign beetle. Portraits of other detectives littered the room to inspire thinking or moments of genius such as Detective Tom Sawyer and .

Mina had read what she could of Apergy and had moved on to the works of _Le Docteur Oméga_ , who claimed to have been there and spoke of various races such as the Ice Warriors, though none seemed to match the description of their current invaders. She snored and turned the page when she heard slight footsteps. Standing up to follow the sounds. She afforded a glance to a glass case containing a hat of the first citizen of the Republic and Robespierre's plaster Death Mask. Both belonged to Napoleon. The books she'd been reading were in french, mostly by , except for one titled " _INHABITANT DE LA PLANETE MARS 1885"_ discussed a calcified body of an ancient Martian discovered in America. She searched for something, unsure of what. There was a map of the "Sea of Dreams" another realm from a dream once visited. It was in this room when she noticed something odd on a chair...a pair of bandages and sunglasses, certainly belonging to Griffin. She held up one of the bandaged and looked around for any signs of him. She passed the Skeleton of a centaur from the marvellous Islands.

Mina returned to her table to see a outstretched floating map, one wouldn't need a detective to know what was happening.

Mina Harker: "...Mr. Griffin?"

The map stopped, hovering and then was gently lowered, folding itself up.

Mina Harker: "Mr. Griffin, what are you doing? I...I know you are here"

Silence.

Mina Harker: "Why aren't you saying anything?...Griffin, I demand to know what´s g-UHH!"

Something punched Mina, drawing a trail of blood in the air from her nose. She fell backwards, tumbling over the table table, knocking it and the objects over. Her back struck the floor.

Having known what Griffin did to the girls of correctional academy, she was scared about what he might do to her as she was pinned to the floor.

Mina Harker "N-no, don't...Please…"

Mina´s hair was pulled upward

Mina Harker: "Ahhh! No! Let go off!"

Her head was slammed against the floor.

Mina´s nose was bleeding now as she pushed herself up.

Mina Harker: "Ouhh...Oh, God...Listen, please...Please don´t-"

Before she could finish, she felt a punch to her stomach.

Mina vomited.

Mina Harker: "AAHuHH…"

For the first time that night the Invisible Man spoke to her.

"Look at you, you stuck up little tart. What are you? Say it!"

Mina relented.

Mina Harker: "I'm...I-I'm a stuck-up little tart. I'm a stuck up little tart…"

Mina´s was pushed face against her own vomit, leaving her there unconscious

"That's right!"

The invisible man laughed maniacally once more.

"Now...Where was I?""

As invisible hands grabbed the map, the carriage was arriving, Mina´s attacker leaving with the map making sure to not make any noise. Sometime later, the glasses were lifted up to eye level. The bandaged were grabbed and a coat put on. The phantom figure moved about.

"Mina!...Mina?"

The coat and glasses stopped before the unconscious woman.

Dr. Hawley Griffin: "Oh F**K I'm getting blamed for this."

 _Just Outside_

William Samson Sr. "WHOA! WHOA!"

Samson managed to stop the horses.

William Samson Sr.: "Right. You lot climb out. I will carry on over to Vauxhall and report to M. He'll probably want fetching back here to the Museum. No doubt I'll see you later."

As instructed, Nemo, Quatermain and Hyde got off the carriage

Allan Quatermain: "God, what a nightmare. That bloody milking stool thing...We are all in the most beastly trouble now. ALL of us."

Captain Nemo: "Let's get inside, out of this rain"

Allan Quatermain: "But you saw how fast it moved bowling across the horizon. A machine like that, it might even be too much even for the army."

Captain Nemo: "You realize there may be a second such device at Byfleet"

Allan Quatermain: "Oh, god. That surrey golf links, where the second cylinder landed. I´d forgotten that. Two of them. And we thought we couldn't leave the crater"

Captain Nemo: "No. That is what you english assumed. I thought otherwise."

Allan Quatermain: "Yes. Yes, you said they'd be building some sort of vehicle. While we are all hoping for the best, you were expecting the worst"

As Nemo and Quatermain left their raincoats at the entrance, Hyde moved up the stairs towards the giant skull from Brobdingnag. He smelled the scent of a stranger, yet familiar, and went towards the second floor to check on Mina.

Quatermain: "It is as you stated. To hope for the best is an English failing."

Captain Nemo: "Growing up in Bundelkhand, one learns differently"

Hyde opened the door to the study room where Mina was or had been. The bust of Holmes, the abandoned books and the globe of Mars. He opened the door slowly

Mere moments later he emerged, roaring with fangs and holding an unconscious Mina.

Mr. Hyde: "QUATERMAIN! NEMO! COME HERE! COME HERE NOW, DAMN YOU!"

Quatermain and Nemo just reached the top of the stairs to see the sight for themselves.

Allan Quatermain: "What is it? We are-"

Quatermain found Mina, lying unconscious on Hyde´s arms, the latter oddly having a look of genuine concern.

Mr. Hyde: "Griffin. His smells all over her. He was naked. Help her. Clean her up and help her"

Nemo ran to the study and saw an empty desk.

Captain Nemo: "The plans detailing London´s gun positions are gone. I don't understand what has happened here"

Allan Quatermain: "Come on. Lets get her downstairs"

Captain Nemo: "Here, I can carry her"

Quatermain, Nemo and Hyde placed Mina on a chair on the first floor.

Captain Nemo: "There is a bruise by her hairline. It doesn't seems too severe"

Allan Quatermain: "Mina, can you hear me?"

Mina Harker: "Nnnn…"

Captain Nemo: "Hush, Miss Harker, all is well. You are safe now. Come. Lets us make her presentable before Holmes arrives"

Allan Quatermain: "We should notify her husband"

Hyde frowned upon the mention of Jonathan. Allan noticed Hyde with a look of severe concern, odd for the evil side of Dr. Jekyll

Allan Quatermain: "Uh...Hyde? Are you, uh...Are you alright?"

Mr. Hyde: "I'm fine...See to her"

 _ **An hour later, at the british museum**_

 _He made me grovel. I couldn't feel more sick of myself if he'd put his diffair in me. I can't even write his name. He has some how made a pact with our unearthly enemies of that much M seems certain. Betrayed his country, his world. But enough of that, the question is…_

 _Who was he?_

 _For he was not Griffin._

Mina Harker: "This place. The museum, we can't stay here"

Allan Quatermain: "What?"

Mina Harker: "We have to leave. It isn't safe"

Allan Quatermain: "Mina, look, you´re still shaken up, I expect..."

Mycroft Holmes: "No, she is absolutely right. Whoever he is he knows this place. I promised a former Diogenes Club agent of mine that I would do what I can to keep you safe. To this extent I have walked further today than I have in my entire lifetime. To that end, I suggest that Captain Nemo, and, ah, Dr. Jekyll´s associate should relocate to the captain´s submersible boat"

Mina Harker: "What about us?"

Mycroft Holmes: "My dear, you have had a simply frightful time. Thought you might enjoy a little holiday"

 _We saw Nemo and Hyde aboard the nautilus. M wants them to defend the Thames against that milking-stool they and Allan saw. It's hoped they can contain the battle in South London. Mr. Hyde seemed rather quiet, almost ominously so, I thought._

 _From Wapping, Mr. Quatermain and I were taken to Waterloo, where we were to commence our "holiday". Despite the rain and lateness of the hour, there were some families with their belongings in the streets. The panic has begun. It will no doubt be worse by morning._

 _We were put on our train by Mr. Samson, our coachman, who wished us luck. As M explained it, we´re to visit the South Downs, there to locate a scientist engaged in highly secret government endeavour. So secret, in fact, that we were told neither his name or whereabouts_

 _We are to locate him and inform him that H-142 must be conveyed to London. Needless to say we've not been told what_ _that_ _is, either_

Allan Quatermain: "I can't get over that three-legged thing. It was the way it moved so quickly across the horizon, with this kind of controlled toppling. If you could have seen it…"

Mina Harker: "Yes, well, frankly, I´ve been more concerned by what I couldn't see."

Allan Quatermain: "Oh, god, of course. Mina, Im so sorry we left you alone with that treasonous swine"

Mina Harker: "Oh, I have lived through worse. What alarms me is that invisible´s man identity. I insist of Griffin's innocence even if I cannot answer to is current whereabouts. This imposter could cost us the war"

Allan Quatermain: "You´re right. The odds against us are high enough already. Specially if Nemo was right, and London has to see off two of those milking stool monstrosities"

Mina Harker: "Three"

Allan Quatermain: "What?"

Mina pointed out at the window, where a huge pod was falling to earth like a Comet.

Mina Harker: "Three!"


	4. All Creatures Great and Small

**Barnes Railway Bridge, One of the Bridges over the Thames.**

 **Sunday, August 7th,1898:**

A group of aristocrats, to be more precise, the Grey family, were boarding a train out of the city.

Mr. Grey: "Ah, look my dear. There´s seats here"

He said as he boarded the train.

Mrs. Grey: "But its so full of people! Really, must we pack and run like this?"

Mrs. Grey let her son sit next to her.

Mrs. Grey: "You sit there child"

grabbed the bags.

Mr. Grey: "Dearest, it's only temporary, because of the meteorites. We´ll be home soon, you´ll see"

Mrs. Grey: "Oh, now it's hardly moving. All these people I expect. Oh, it's all too bad. I´d had those lovely new curtains delivered..."

Mr. Grey: "They'll still be safe w\hen we get back, old thing. Now chin up, eh?"

As they talked, the boy looked at the window and was shocked to see something tall and mechanical coming towards them.

Mrs. Grey: "But really! Those announcements, saying everyone south of the river should evacuate. I have never known anything like it."

They boy tried to reach his father's hand

Jimmy Grey: "Father…"

Mr. Grey: "Just a moment lad, your mother and I are talking. Darling, you musn't let things like this upset you"

Mr. Grey turned back to his wife

Mrs. Grey: "I know, its just that our lives were in that house. When I think..."

Jimmy pointed at the window in panic

Jimmy: "FATHER! LOOK AT IT!"

He only saw tendrils shifting on the other side of the window.

Mr. Grey: "Good god, what on earth is-"

Before he could finish, the tripod lifted a tentacle and slammed it down on the track, destroying it. The train was derailed and came crashing down into the water

 **Chapter Four: All Creatures Great and Small  
**  
Corpses, wreckage and bags sank deeper into the River Thames. The young boy popped out of the water, hanging onto his father's suitcase for dear life.

Jimmy Grey: "Oh. Oh...Mother! Father..."

Much to his horror. The sight of what was left was entirely terrifying, there being scraps of metal on the water and corpses on the water, sometimes the later being impaled by the former. The boy was shocked at the sight. For better or for worse, he couldn't locate his parents. He saw that he was alone, surrounded by death.

Jimmy Grey: "Oh no. Oh, please. Please, I don't want to…"

The boy was stopped on mid sentence when he realized he was standing up in something...But where? The water was deep. Suddenly, under him, something rose up. Bubbles began to surround him in a circle. He was standing on something metal.

Jimmy Grey: "Wh-?"

Something reddish rose. It was as if he was on a metal fish. It continued to rise. He looked forward and saw that he was on some kind of boat. He looked up into the blue sky. He spotted a balloon floating by, which seemed to mean hope to the boy. Another sign of life in the sky away from the monster's reach. He then spotted the device again, the horrifying machine on three legs, which had walked passed and through the destroyed bridged, turned around as if it noticed it has missed one and confronted the mechanical whale the boy was on. Young Jimmy turned around and gasped at the face of a large undersea monster made of metal before his eyes told him it was only a figurehead. A cannon rose up from its back pointed upward. A shirtless but muscular man was in the gun's seat. The large cannon's nose had risen up and into view. The monster appeared to charge up a device ready to fire. The cannon aimed and shot first, hitting the terrible machine.

There was an explosion sending chunks of flaming metal everywhere. The heat device misfired and went off into the River, which boiled. Ismael's head popped out of the open hatch!

Ishmael: "That thing's boiling the river!"

It was true the act of the machine falling into the Thames was now boiling the entire river.

The Tripod legs stood upright and fell to the side. Chunks clanged and bounced off the submarine. Jimmy saw a big piece falling towards him.

Jimmy Grey: "AAAAH! Oh Lord! Lord Save me!"

Ishmael: "Grab the lad Jack, before the steam cooks him!"

Jimmy Grey: "AAAA!"

The man at the cannon's head jolted and he took off running like an athlete towards the boy.

Broad Arrow Jack: "Leave it to me, Mr. Mate"

The man with a tattoo quickly grabbed the scared boy and pulled him away where the flaming debris came crashing down. The child was panicking.

Jimmy Grey: "No! Who are you? Please, my mother and father…!"

Broad Arrow Jack: "They're dead lad. They have to be! you have to be a man up now!"

He said shaking him by the shoulders. The realization hit and he stopped screaming as he was brought inside.

Jimmy Grey: "No! Mother…"

He was brought inside and the hatch was closed. The Nautilus submerged, leaving only death and wreckage behind.

Broad Arrow Jack, the shirtless man, carried the boy down a flight of stairs and with one hand, offered him to the kinder Ishmael

Ishmael: "There, easy as you go lad, it's all right…"

The young Jimmy allowed himself to be passed along when he spotted Nemo standing before a large window into the Thames, which was far from a pretty sight with the pollution and the remains of the train, bridge and tripod floating around, making the Captain appear to be the menacing mastermind responsible for the attack. Next to him was a large manlike beast sitting and staring back at him. The creature's eyes bulged out in a face meant to scare the boy. The steering wheel was in the form of a multi armed Goddess. He was too young to identify it as Shiva-Nataraja, the lord of the cosmic dance.

Ishmael put down the boy and with a hand on his shoulder navigated the frightened child towards Nemo.

Ishmael: "It´s the one we surfaced beneath, Captain. Only Survivor….We've picked up another orphan."

Ishmael had been left the sole survivor of a disaster at sea courtesy of Moby Dick. He hated to see it happen to someone so young.

Hyde turned uninterested towards the boy.

Mr. Hyde: "What's he blubbering for? I'll give him something to cry about"

Nemo: "Hyde, He's only a child."

Mr. Hyde: "I know what children look like Nemo. I've often scraped them off my boots.

Captain Nemo: "That's enough. Find the boy dry clothes, . And give him some broth. Put his ashore when we dock at Wapping"

Ishmael: "Aye Aye, Captain. Come on, boy. Let's get you shipshape."

He guided Jimmy away who was awestruck at the Captain's appearance. Hyde and nemo looked back at the river as debris fell.

Mr. Hyde: "Hurnh. Children. It's the way they look at you I can't stand. You know Nemo, that wasn't a bad shot for a wog."

Captain Nemo: "Thank you. It's a pity I couldn't navigate the locks to shepperton, but I hear artillery have downed one invader there by themselves. "

The Thames had a series of locks put in place to control its flow. The Shepperton lock was on the Windsor-to-Twickenham stretch of the Thames. Reaching the locks would make travel easier. The Defeat of the Tripod was witnessed by the chronicler H.G. Wells.

" In another moment it was on the bank, and in a stride wading halfway across. The knees of its foremost legs bent at the farther bank, and in another moment it had raised itself to its full height again, close to the village of Shepperton. Forthwith the six guns which, unknown to anyone on the right bank, had been hidden behind the outskirts of that village, fired simultaneously. The sudden near concussion, the last close upon the first, made my heart jump. The monster was already raising the case generating the Heat-Ray as the first shell burst six yards above the hood.  
I gave a cry of astonishment. I saw and thought nothing of the other four Martian monsters; my attention was riveted upon the nearer incident.  
Simultaneously two other shells burst in the air near the body as the hood twisted round in time to receive, but not in time to dodge, the fourth shell.  
The shell burst clean in the face of the Thing. The hood bulged, flashed, was whirled off in a dozen tattered fragments of red flesh and glittering metal.  
Then I saw them dimly, colossal figures of grey, magnified by the mist. They had passed by me, and two were stooping over the frothing, tumultuous ruins of their comrade.'

Captain Nemo: "According to my courier, a second Tripod retrieved its comrade's remains…"

Mr. Hyde: "That's very touching. They're as weak and sentimental as people, then?"

Captain Nemo: "No. They just don't want us studying their engineering. Bring that wreckage aboard, Broad Arrow Jack. Use the tentacles."

Broad Arrow Jack: "Right you are, sir."

He said as he saluted.

The tentacles came off of the side of the Nautilus shot out and began to grab pieces of the Tripod from the bottom of the river.

Mr. Hyde: "Hurrh. Well hurry up. I want to kill more slug. Otherwise I might as well be off somewhere taking it easy, like Mina and Quatermain."

Captain Nemo: "Patience. There will be enough killing soon. As for Quatermain and Miss Harker. I doubt very much that anything is easy."

 **South Downs**  
Allan and Mina tredged through a perfect field of grass. It was a beautiful sgh. Untouched by the invasion. There were horses nearby, black beauties grazing in majestic fields.

Mina Harker: "Keep up."

Mina was ahead of Quatermain, garbed in white safari like clothing as was Allan.

Allan Quatermain: "Bugger it. I can't. I'm old, Mina. I'm bloody old. That's why fatty Holmes sent me out here to the South Down with you, because I'm only fit for…"

Mina Harker: "Women's work?"

Allan Quatermain: "That...Blast it, that's not what I meant. Why do women have to turn everything around? I'm just fed up. I don't know what we're doing here.

Mina Harker: "We're looking for someone. Who's somewhere around here."

Allan Quatermain: "Yes. And we've no blasted idea who, and we've no blasted idea where. If this chap's so secret even Holmes doesn't know where he is…

Mina Harker: Then he must be very important. You're tired Allan. We didn't sleep.

Allan Quatermain: Yes, well, by the time we'd found our lodgings, it was light. And what was all that "Mr. and Mrs. Quatermain" stuff about?"

Mina Harker: "Nothing. It's just cover we've used before. When we caught Griffin remember?"

Allan Quatermain: "Hmph. Yes. I remember. Griffin. Talking about invisible men, the way that one treated you. I wish the blighter were her now."

Mina Harker: "Don't say that, Allan. He might be."

Allan Quatermain: "Oh. Yes. Yes, I suppose you're right. Fine time to bring it up, though, with these dark woods looming.

They were now approaching the large woods which seemed more like a jungle.

Mina Harker: "They're all we have. M. Said our mystery man maintained a mobile base in the forest, so that no one knew where he was."

Allan Quatermain: "Jolly thoughtful of him. Mina, do you have any idea how big these bloody woods are?

Mina Harker: "No. I only know that we have to find this person and that complaining won't make it any easier. Why don't you just concentrate on the task at hand."

Allan Quatermain: "Huh. Yes, I suppose I should, At least until the Spacemen come and fry us both."

Mina Harker: "Oh, do be quiet. It's a lovely summer's day and the birds are singing, flowers are blooming, bountiful nature, and all so green…"

"Oh, don't you be fooled. It's red."

Allan and Mina turned around sharply.

"Red in Tooth and Claw"

Standing there was a familiar figure.

"Hello Mina. Did you miss me?"

 **London Dock**  
The Nautilus had reached port. It bellowed smoke into the form of a question mark as large cranes aided in reloading it. More importantly. All three men of the Nautilus were seeing off the young boy. Ishmael was bringing him.

Jimmy Grey: "I never met someone from another land before, and no one as nice as the Captain."

Broad Arrow Jack: "He's nice to everyone even his hostages. Glad you're not one of them."

Ishmael: "The two best men I've ever known as our Indian Captain and a Polynesian Cannibal."

Two British police officers had come to retrieve him. They were waiting on the grey stone dock.

Captain Nemo: "Well, boy, here is where we put you off. The constables will see you are entrusted with relatives. What is your name lad?"

Jimmy Grey: "Grey, sir. Jimmy Grey. Y-your metal fish is very grand, sir. One day, god willing, I shall build one myself"

Captain Nemo smiled at the child

Captain Nemo: "Well then.."

He turned around. Ishmael and Broad Arrow Jack did the same and all three walked back to the craft. The Captain mustered his grandest smile and raised his arm.

Captain Nemo: "Good luck, boy!"

He said as the door to the Nautilus rose up, dripping with water and closed. The top of the craft spouted a huge geyser. Hyde approached Nemo

Mr. Hyde: "Huhn. Cabin Boy safely ashore, is he? Perhaps we can get on with our work now?"

Captain Nemo: "Protecting the innocent is our work, creature"

Mr. Hyde: "No, killing Mars-men, that's our work. And Griffin, when I find him-"

Captain Nemo: "You heard Miss Harker, Griffin has nothing to do with this, she claimed that the way he talked...The way he laughed, it was different from our twisted comrade"

Mr. Hyde: "Well, whoever was the bastard, once I find him, he will wish he hadn't been born"

Captain Nemo: "If we find him, which is not likely, we don't even know who he is"

Mr. Hyde: "...But we know someone that might…"

Captain Nemo: "Besides, if I were Miss Harker, I should not like to miss that event. She would want to be there for"

Mr. Hyde: "...No...I don't believe she would. She is different from us, Nemo. And she's better off where she is"

 **South Downs**

A man stood before Mina and Allan.

"Hello Mina. Did you miss me?"

Mina Harker: "Jonathan!"

She ran up and hugged him. Allan scratched his head.

Allan Quatermain: "Jonathan eh? Mina talked quite a bit about you."  
Mina: Yes but why are you here? Who is looking after Quincy?

Jonathan Harker: "Seward is watching over Quincy."

Allan Quatermain: "But why were you sent here? Did Mycroft think our role as Husband and wife was not convincing?"

Jonathan Harker: "I suppose he believed an authentic couple would fit the bill. However one thing he did not inform me of is why he asked me to come out here to the Hundred Acre Woods simply to meet my wife and an elderly thought dead explorer."

Mina Harker: "Our benefactor has also withheld information from us. Perhaps he left you a piece to a puzzle."

Jonathan Harker: "Well he mentioned that a man named Edward Prendick has an estate up here."

Mina Harker: "Perhaps he is the one we are to find."

Allan Quatermain: "No it would not be so easy but perhaps he may provide an inclination."

The three marched through the large woods to an opening. There was a man reclining in a seat in the sun. His eyes opened slowly when the three stepped in front of sunlight. His eyes peered open life a sleeping infant and then widened in shock as he sat up.

Edward Prendick: "The stars...They told me I would meet new people...That is, if you are people"

He jumped to his feet and began to feel Allan's face, tugging at the flaps of aged flesh. Quatermain slapped him away.

Allan Quatermain: "Keep your distance! Of course we are people, what else could we be?"

Mina Harker: "Allan, dont shout"

Edward Prendick: "Oh where are my manners."

He held a hand out.

Edward Prendick: "Prendrick. Eddie Prendrick. I´m so glad they have listened to me, and sent someone to find him"

Mina wasn't sure what was more annoying, this man´s insanity, or the fact that his way of introducing himself was similar than Campion Bond´s.

Mina Harker: "That...That would rather depend on whom it is you suppose us to be looking for"

Edward Prendick: "Why the Doctor of course"

Prendick started doing weird movements with his hands as if he was a stage magician.

Edward Prendick: "Everyone thought he´d died on his island, of course I may have helped in that regard but I know what really happened. Rutting on all fours like-like...And the plump chap I met on my return. Government chap! He knew! You could see it. See it in his piggy eyes"

Mina Harker: "This man...Did he have a little moustache? Macassar oil in his hair?"

Edward Prendick: "That's him! And he knew about the island"

Mina Harker: "I'm sure he did"

Jonathan Harker: "And you say...this doctor is somewhere nearby"

Edward Prendick: "Well, yes, it's obvious, I have seen them, the ones he altered. You think they are people, but look closer! They are animals"

He pointed is hand at Quatermain

Edward Prendick: "What seems a man will have the eyes of an old hunting dog"

He points his hand at Jonathan

Edward Prendick: "Perhaps the teeth of a bat, filthy blood suckers"

He pointed his hand to Mina

Edward Prendick: "Or perhaps they're feline. Soft and sleek to all appearances, but stealthy! Vicious! Do you know the type of whom I speak madam? Hm? Yes...Yes I rather think that you do!"

Jonathan Harker: "What on earth are you talking about?!"

Edward Prendick: "Oh yes. I should explain. He would want me to explain. But yes I shouldn't the Doctor wouldn't want me. But I should. I told that I found an island where a mad Doctor and his assistant Montgomery were doing experiments in vivisection on animals to make them more like people. I said that the animals turned on their masters and killed the two men and I escaped but that's not true. Only Montgomery was killed. The Doctor wanted to start from scratch. He made me swear not to tell anyone. Burned the island. A fresh start."

Mina: "A Fresh Start where?"

Edward Prendick: "I tried to rejoin the humans but my trouble took the strangest form. I could not persuade myself that the men and women I met were not also another Beast People, animals half wrought into the outward image of human souls, and that they would presently begin to revert,—to show first this bestial mark and then that. But I have confided my case to a strangely able man,—a man who had known Moreau, this fat man, and seemed half to credit my story; a mental specialist,—and he has helped me, though I do not expect that the terror of that island will ever altogether leave me. At most times it lies far in the back of my mind, a mere distant cloud, a memory, and a faint distrust; but there are times when the little cloud spreads until it obscures the whole sky. Then I look about me at my fellow-men; and I go in fear. I see faces, keen and bright; others dull or dangerous; others, unsteady, insincere,—none that have the calm authority of a reasonable soul. I feel as though the animal was surging up through them; that presently the degradation of the Islanders will be played over again on a larger scale. I know this is an illusion; that these seeming men and women about me are indeed men and women,—men and women for ever, perfectly reasonable creatures, full of human desires and tender solicitude, emancipated from instinct and the slaves of no fantastic Law,—beings altogether different from the Beast Folk. Yet I shrink from them, from their curious glances, their inquiries and assistance, and long to be away from them and alone. For that reason I live near the broad free down-land, and can escape thither when this shadow is over my soul; and very sweet is the empty downland then, under the wind-swept sky."

Jonathan took a deep sigh and put a supportive hand on Prendick's shoulder.

Jonathan: "You may not believe I'm human but I too was prisoner to a madman, surrounded by hideous beasts and I too rejoined the world, growing used to seeing monsters and sharp teeth where they were none, but I can tell you that it is possible with a strong pillar. All became better the moment I was back in London with Mina."

Edward Prendick: "Back in London? When I lived in London the horror was well-nigh insupportable. I could not get away from men: their voices came through windows; locked doors were flimsy safeguards. I would go out into the streets to fight with my delusion, and prowling women would mew after me; furtive, craving men glance jealousy at me; weary, pale workers go coughing by me with tired eyes and eager paces, like wounded deer dripping blood; old people, bent and dull, pass murmuring to themselves; and, all unheeding, a ragged tail of gibbing children. Then I would turn aside into some chapel,—and even there, such was my disturbance, it seemed that the preacher gibbered "Big Thinks," even as the Ape-man had done; or into some library, and there the intent faces over the books seemed but patient creatures waiting for prey. Particularly nauseous were the blank, expressionless faces of people in trains and omnibuses; they seemed no more my fellow-creatures than dead bodies would be, so that I did not dare to travel unless I was assured of being alone. And even it seemed that I too was not a reasonable creature, but only an animal tormented with some strange disorder in its brain which sent it to wander alone, like a sheep stricken with gid."

He retreated into his sadness once again.

Edward Prendick: "And even now I am not alone."

At this the faces of the three newcomers looked around expecting to see eyes watching them.

Edward Prendick: "I have said too much already"

Prendick turned his back

Edward Prendick: "D-Don't try to follow me! I have set traps for your sort! TRAPS!"

Prendick started running while doing what would be unsure to be laugher or screams

Jonathan Harker: "What a peculiar fellow"

Allan Quatermain: "I´ll say. That doctor he spoke of. You don't suppose it's the chinaman?"

Mina Harker: "No...This is someone different, The Devil Doctor hates all things western from what I read on him hence why he chose the Limehouse district as a base. He wouldn't use such an island,but the fat man he mentioned, that has to be our Mr. Bond"

Allan Quatermain: "Ah, yes, I see."

Jonathan Harker: "So then the doctor we are searching for and the one from our lunatic friend´s island"

Mina Harker: "...Are the same man. Yes, I think that's highly likely. Come on, let's explore these woods"

They entered to the woods and found massive trees.

Allan Quatermain: "...Africa"

Jonathan Harker: "...What?"

Allan Quatermain: "Oh, just talking to myself, really. I was just thinking that this feels like Africa somehow. If I didn't know better, I'd swear there was game here."

Jonathan Harker: "What in Sussex?"

Mina Harker: "Well, I suppose there are rabbits"

Allan Quatermain: "No, I mean big game. Tiger. Bear. I can almost smell it on the breeze. And that feeling of being watched by hidden eyes"

Jonathan Harker: "Allan, no offense, but I think Pendrick might have gotten you paranoiac"

Mina Harker: "I hadn't noticed anything like that. All this hunter talk´s jolly stirring though."

She shot a glance at Jonathan with a blush.

Allan Quatermain: "Stirring?"

Mina Harker: "Nevermind" She said smirkin

Jonathan Harker: "If it makes you feel better the presence of that mad man, Prendick might be a good sign, judging that he seems obsessed with this mysterious doctor, especially considering what he told us about before running in fear"

Mina Harker: "Jonathan has a point, his proximity means we are close. Perhaps this "island" was a previous base"

Allan Quatermain: "Yes. That chap said something about everyone thinking our doctor was dead. If military intelligence had simply moved him here...Well, that fits with their usual tactics. I mean, Im supposedly dead. Griffin, Hyde, Nemo...Moriarty"

Jonathan Harker: "I just hope a certain transylvanian count Im thinking on stays dead…"

Mina Harker: "Would never agree more with you darling. Staged deaths seem to be rather a speciality. I wonder about M´s brother. He didn't seem too saddened about it and there are rumors circulating but Dr. Watson has yet to publish anymore accounts since the incident at Reichenbach Falls. We´ll search a little longer, shall we? If we have no luck, we can return to our inn and plan for tomorrow""

Allan Quatermain: "Suits me. Frankly, I´d rather be facing space-man with Hyde and Nemo than tramping through this shrubbery"

Mina Harker: "Oh Allan, dont be so dreary about everything"

Jonathan Harker: "So...Do you have more stories about hunting trips Mr. Quatermain?"

As they progressed through the forest, something seemingly like a clothed bear started approaching.

 **The River Thames, London**  
The City burned as three Martian Tripods destroyed all in their path. The bridge was overcrowded with people. Nemo and Hyde stood on the surface of the Nautilus, keeping their eyes on the distant crafts and the people fleeing in panic.

Captain Nemo: "Ishmael, if one of them approaches Blackfriar's bridge, try to put a round beneath its canopy. Failing that, collapse the bridge"

Ishmael: "Aye aye, sir!"

Mr. Hyde: "Collapse the bridge? With all those innocent lives? Ohhh, Nemo!"

Captain Nemo: "Do not mock me, horror. The thames´s London's moat now...And whatever measures are necessary to contain our problem south of the river, those measures will be taken"

Mr. Hyde: "Huh, goodbye South London then"

Captain Nemo: "Possibly. If we are fortunate, there are no more canisters to come. Those creatures already here can destroy so much...As for the population, hopefully they can escape in time. We must save as many we can. Even if they are only…."

Mr. Hyde: "Human?"

Captain Nemo: "English"

 **The Olde Stumpe**

The Olde Stumpe was an inn by the side of the road. Which the Harkers and Quatermain were to spend the night.

Allan Quatermain:"...Just saying that if we find nothing tomorrow, we should return to…"

The landlady walked down the stairs.

Mina Harker: "Hush, Allan. Miss Mopp. Good evening."

Miss Hopp:"Evenin', Mr. and Mrs. Quatermain."

Jonathan: "I hope you don't mind, unexpected circumstances have forced my Grandfather Allan to stay with us. I've trust you've heard of the news from London."

Miss Hopp: "Oh yes I'm terribly sorry."

Jonathan Harker: "Yes, and if it's quite acceptable we'd like to have...separate rooms. Well pay for the difference of course."

Miss Hopp: "I don't see why not. Shall I do you now for supper, or will you be going straight up"

Mina Harker: "Oh Jonathan and I would like to retire early."

Jonathan Harker: "I'm sure Grandpa Allan would love some supper."

Miss Hopp: "Well, I'll do you for breakfast at eight sharp, if that's all right?"

Mina Harker: "I'm sure that will be most adequate. Come along, dear."

She opened the door and Jonathan took one look back before entering.

Once inside he shut the door and turned to Mina.

Mina Harker: "What on earth was that?"

Jonathan Harker: "I was only keeping up 're on a highly confidential mission, purporting to be a happily married couple."

Mina Harker: "We...are...a happily married couple….aren't we?"

Jonathan's face shifted to a look of sadness.

Jonathan Harker:"...Well I could hardly book separate rooms, Could we?"

Both their faces sank into depression.

Mina Harker: "What happened to us?"

Jonathan Harker: "Dracula happened."

Mina Harker: "How could one person tear us apart so much?...Maybe we should have divorced after all."

Jonathan Harker: "No. I couldn't do that to you. You'd have been disgraced."

Mina Harker: "Jonathan, you are damaged while I am disgraced and disregarded by the world. Now if you wouldn't mind…"

She lowered her dress to reveal the top of her corset.

Mina Harker: "Would you like to unfasten this wretched thing?"

Jonathan approached and undid the top.

Mina got into bed nude. Jonathan lowered his pants to do the same and then got into bed. He turned to face his wife.

Jonathan Harker:"Mina? We've drifted apart. Why should now be any different? During the war, during the uncertainty…"

Mina Harker: "Because of the war. Because of the uncertainty."

In London the Tripods stood in London engulfed in flame. People burned to a script. Inside the Nautilus behind a sealed metal door came heavy pounding.

Captain Nemo:"What's that noise? Where is it coming from?"

Broad Arrow Jack pointed to the door from behind came the heavy pounding.

Broad Arrow Jack:"It's your monster Chap, Captain. Hyde. He's with the the Mars wreckage we salvaged earlier."

The two reached the hatch and turned it to open the door.

Captain Nemo:"But that clanging! It's like a church-bell! What he doing with…"

The door opened.

Captain Nemo:"oh."

Hyde stood in a boxer's stance with his fists raised. His knuckles were bleeding and he was shirtless. He roared and punched the piece of metal, which had several indents on its side. He was using the wreckage as a punching bag.

And as Hyde punched in rage and the loud pounding of metal echoed through the Nautilus, Jonathan harker thrusted into his wife. Mina let out moans. Eventually the two switched Mina, still wearing her scarf sat on Jonathan's hips.

 **Woking Crater**  
An invisible voice spoke to a group of the Molluscs, pictures were drawn in the sand with a stick.

"You see, what it is, It's a Submarine. It goes under the water. Under the river, yes? That's right. Like a Fish."

"This is what's stopping you from crossing the Thames. Do you understand" This Submarine. You have to do something to destroy it. You have to do something to the river."

The Old Stumpe  
Mina's scarf fell away from her neck and Jonathan gazed upon her scars. The red gashes across her neck. His eyes widened in horror and he stopped.

Jonathan Harker:" I'm...I'm sorry Mina"

She felt her neck and then looked back to her husband in sadness.

Mina Harker: "Not quite the two discreet puncture-marks of legends, were they?"

Jonathan reached towards his own neck to feel his scars and then sat up. All over his back were the large gashes and scars left behind by the Count's Vampiric Brides. He looked like a whipped man.

Jonathan Harker: "No. No they are not."


	5. Red in Tooth and Claw

The Sound of British boots marching awoke Hyde. Only three men, Nemo, Ishmael and Jack occupied the massive craft, constructed in such a way as Nemo alone could pilot if need be. Hyde thought it odd that the men had been allowed on. He saw the men climbing the ladder towards the hatch carrying thing slike Axes and swords. Putting on blue pants and a white dress shirt. He was the last person to reach the top of the ladder and push himself up. Nemo stood there overlooking everything from the top. Hyde yawned and casually spoke.

Mr. Hyde: "River. Supposed to be like that, is it?"

A red weed had filled the entirety of the Thames. It was choking the river, At any rate, the seeds which the Martians brought with them gave rise in all cases to red-coloured growths. Only that known popularly as the Red Weed, however, gained any footing in competition with terrestrial forms. The Red Creeper was quite a transitory growth, and few people have seen it growing. For a time, however, the Red Weed grew with astonishing vigour and luxuriance...It had popped in throughout the country, and especially wherever there was a stream of water. Boats stranded in the weed were covered as if in blood. The English Men brought onboard were helping Broad Arrow Jack and possibly Ishmael though Hyde could not see him and he may have been too old, were chopping away at the Red Weed to the front of the Nautlius in an effort to free it.

 **Chapter Five: Red in Tooth and Claw**

Captain Nemo: "You know that it is not. Do not jest with me now Hyde. I am not of a mood for it."

Mr. Hyde:" It's the space jellies who've done this, then? All this red muck."

Captain Nemo: "Yes. I believe it is some type of anti-submarine weapon."

Mr. Hyde: "The effective type, from the look of it. Well, I'm not sitting here all day."

Captain Nemo: "We've little choice until the weed is cleared"."

Mr. Hyde: "What, and then we wait for Quatermain and Harker to return? Bugger that. I'm going into the city, to the museum."

He began to walk towards the docks, leaping onto the nearest vessel.

Captain Nemo: "Hyde. You can't walk through London, even if it's half-evacuated."

Mr. Hyde:" Samson will take me. Join me for dinner there later if you like."

Captain Nemo: "Hyde, don't be stupid. We abandoned our museum base because the Invisible Man might infiltrate it. It presents such an easy target for him, and…"

He stepped out of sight, walking down a set of stairs upon reaching the door.

Nemo: "Hyde?"

 **English Countryside**

It was a beautiful day in the countryside. As if the invasion was a distant fantasy. Distant voices could be heard.

Jonathan Harker: "Mina, Please...You're not giving me a chance to explain."

The Speech was coming from within the large woods.

Jonathan Harker: "You're assuming the worst about me...about my reaction to your...injuries."

The two were walking in front of Allan.

Jonathan Harker: "I mean I share your scars. Do you honestly think I'd be scared by a few scars...Me of all people.

Mina seemed hesitant. Jonathan fell back, allowing Allan to catch up with him. He put a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Allan Quatermain: "You're wife has scars around her neck. Hmm..that would explain the Scarf."

Jonathan Harker: "We both do"

Allan Quatermain: " Perhaps I can help?"

Jonathan Harker: "How so?"

Allan Quatermain: "I've been married twice…"

Quatermain made a pause

Allan Quatermain: "My first wife, I beg you not to speak of her to me or to anyone else, for I cannot bear to hear her name. She died saving my life. Later, I met my childhood friend Stella Carson and she became my second wife. She was the most striking, remarkable woman I had ever known. As a younger woman, she'd been caught in a fire, I'd leaped into save her, burning my wrists, but with the exception of a single burn upon her throat, little Stella Carson was not much hurt. When I met her again in adulthood she pointed to a faint red mark upon her neck"

Mina heard this and her eyes widened. A hand went up to her neck.

Jonathan Harker: "I'm sorry...really I am….But why tell me to this...a stranger."

Allan Quatermain: "Because Destiny has a strange way of distinguishing the women we both love the most."

Jonathan considered this for a moment, and then walked towards where Mina was. Allan stayed behind to give the couple a moment saw the two arguing, though he could not hear what they said.

Mina Harker: "Oh Jonathan. I've been so hateful to you. It's just...these beastly things...I'm so fel conscious about them, and I thought…

Jonathan Harker: Let me see them.

Mina Harker: "What?"

Jonathan: "I want to see your scars. I want you to know that they are not a difficulty between us. I have my faults, Mina, But I'm a better man than that."

Mina: "Jonathan, I know they are hideous, i-its…"

Jonathan Harker: "It's alright."

He put his hand towards the scarf.

Jonathan Harker: "May I?"

Mina: "...Alright."

One handedly he removed the scarf, revealing the scars.

Jonathan Harker: "Mina…They are part of you...Part of what we had to go through together. Mina, there is no part of you that is not beautiful"

And the two kissed, long and passionately. Jonathan reached down to her neck.

Mina Harker: " Jonathan...you've never…"

Jonathan Harker:"Then I've been a fool. Let's do it."

Mina: "Right here? Among the trees and wild animals? As if I were some...native girl? I-I quite forbid it."

Jonathan stepped back.

Jonathan Harker: "Alright."

There was an awkward pause between the two.

Mere moments later the two were banging against the tree. Mina's legs were around Jonathan's hips and he was thrusting. Mina moaned with her eyes closed. They then slowly opened and then widened in horror and scream.

A brownish Bear creature, standing upright. He had dark black eyes. Saliva drooled from his mouth. There was a yellow scarf with crossing lines. His shirt was red and tattered. He wore plaid pants and his boots had clawed feet poking out of them. He held up an arm, holding the lifeless form of Allan Quatermain.

Mina Screamed in Horror.

Jonathan Harker: "God, Mina you're so abandoned."

Mina Harker: "Get off me, You idiot look!"

She pointed and got to her feet. Jonathan turned around and screamed in fear.

Jonathan Harker: "Oh, dear god. Mina, Run! I-I'll hold it off!"

The creature spoke. It's voice was gutteral. Mixed with a roar.

"NOT TO RUN! NOT TO RRRUN!"

Mina Harker: "Jonathan...It's…"

The creature swiped, releasing a roar and knocking Jonathan down. Mina leaped to his side. His was injured. There were clawmarks across his face.

Mina Harker: "No! leave him alone you brute!

Jonathan was recovering.

Jonathan Harker: "Mina, get away! Get away! While it's occupied with me!

Mina Harker: "Jon, I can't…"

Jonathan Harker:"Just go!"

A voice came from the side.

"NO. YOU COME!"

She turned to see three more Animal Men hybrids. There was an elephant upright, except that it was wearing suit tailored to its size. It was also very massive. Mina thought of the stories of Jumbo the elephant she had heard of. Then there was a tiger in a damaged striped suit with a red bowtie. Finally there was a Badger walking upright with the use of a kane wearing a scarf, striped pants and a coat. He was unique because unlike the elephant and the tiger, who were both smaller than they should have been. The badger was exactly the right size. The tiger spoke.

Tiger Man: "YOU COME US!"

 **London,British Museum**

A carriage travelled through the streets, abandoned only but a handful of people. There was a overturned cart. A flock of loose sheep. A man slept at the foot of a Lamp post while a young girl stared at him. A dog sat on the sidewalk. Newspapers fluttered in the wind with the headline "MARTIANS DESTROY RICHMOND"

An elderly man named Ally Sloper drank from a flask. A chubby fellow smoking a pipe next to him, Weary Willy the amiable tramp, sat as his friend. Another man, who wore captain's clothes and an orange beard and mustache similar to Allan's ran passed the two. Hyde's eyes peaked into the streets to witness the carnage. Some men broke a window of a store selling Gramophone's, carrying them of fin their arms. A small white dog named Nipper curiously inspected one of the Gramophone's placed on the street amongst the glass and yet still playing a record. Hyde stroked his chin in contemplation.

The carriage passed through the gates. William Samson had arrived at the British Museum along with Hyde.

William Samson Sr.: "Right. here we are. Shall you want picking up later?"

Mr. Hyde: "I may do"

Mr. Hyde: "I invited the captain darkie to join me here for dinner later. Come with him, if you like, and bring some food"

William Samson Sr: "Fair enough. Why are you´ere anyway? You don't strike me as the museum sort"

Mr. Hyde: "Huhuh...You are wrong. Why, I'm obsessed with the past. I simply can't let things go...Do you know what I mean? I will see you later I expect"

William Samson Sr: "Hm. See you later. Come on, girl. Giddup!"

He whipped the horses and the carriage took off. Hyde entered towards the museum, sniffing, smelling and whistling as he went upstairs to the secret Annexe, passing the skull of a Brobdignagian giant. He entered the room where Mina had been assaulted and locked the door.

Mr. Hyde: "There now...All Cozy…"

And so it seemed he was alone. All that could be seen was himself and the paintings of Jack Walsingham and William Shakespeare. Who's contributions to the League were paid in tribute within the room.

Hyde mumbled a tune as he sat on a chair

Mr. Hyde: "Ahhh, lovely"

He accommodated himself and grabbed a newspaper…The Daily Mail, an old issue. Most newspapers had ceased during the invasion.

...Suddenly he started laughing hysterically

Mr. Hyde: "You know, this is really quite funny. You're thinking "If I don't make any noise, he wont know Im here"".

There was no response, to which Hyde just laughed

Mr. Hyde: "Now you are thinking...Haha...Now you are thinking "He is bluffing!" But I'm not, I promise you I'm not. You have my word as a gentleman"

Hyde started getting up

Mr. Hyde: "Ah, well. I suppose we might get things started."

"W-wait, Hyde! Its me, Griffin, not the other one"

Mr. Hyde: "And I'm supposed to believe it? No, I suppose I'm not. I know it's you. I can see you. I've always been able to see you. Keeping Quiet's no use."

"This..This isn't fair."

Hyde shot out an arm and grabbed something in the air.

Mr. Hyde: "got you."

There was sounds of struggling and whimpering. Hyde laughed.

Hyde: "This is your arm, Isn't it?."

He then shot out another hand and seemed to grab something else.

Mr. Hyde: "And this is your leg. Interesting. You're invisible to each other but not to me. Even if I just see two red splotches."

His right hand twisted and there was a scream. He then turned his attention to the other form.

"Oh god. Oh god, please don't…"

He balled his hands into fists and raised his knee as if striking something in the stomach. There was a scream.

"AAAA! Ahuhuhuh. Oh god!, Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Mr. Hyde: "My dear chap, please Don't apologize. No harm done eh?"

He used one hand to pick him up.

Mr. Hyde: "Up you come."

He was now dragging something. The doorknob shifted. Hyde turned to look at it.

Mr. Hyde: "Oh don't think you're getting away scott free Griffin. I'll deal with you later.

Hawley Griffin: "What? What for. It was this guy who beat Mina, not me?"

Mr. Hyde: "How did you know about that? Where you there? You could have talked to us."

Hawley Griffin: "For god's sake Hyde. He did it. I saw it with my own eyes."

Mr. Hyde: "...You….saw what he did to Mina?….and did nothing."

He frowned and then turned to walk towards the window.

"UUHHHNN. Oh please don't kill me…"

Mr. Hyde: "Don't worry, Mr…."

He turned to Griffin.

Hawley Griffin: "Marvel...Thomas Marvel."

Mr. Hyde: "Didn't you say you killed him?"

Hawley Griffin: "I tried to get my research back from him but he wasn't home."

Mr. Hyde: "The papers said he was dead."

Hawley Griffin: "missing."

Mr. Hyde: "ah."

He turned back to pushing something across to the window. A form seemed to move across the rug.

Mr. Hyde: "Don't worry. . I won't kill you. Not for ages. I just want to show you something."

He held up his fist towards the window.

Mr. Hyde: "There. Take a look at that. London. Marvelous view. Don't you think."

"Hyde...Please."

Hyde slammed his fist against the glass and a large splintered circle appeared.

Mr. Hyde: "Stop saying that! Stop saying that you treacherous little shit!"

He roared. There was a cry of pain.

Mr. Hyde: "You betrayed us for a lot of slugs didn't you?"

No response.

Mr. Hyde: "DIDN'T YOU!?"

"Yes. Yes! I betrayed you!"

Mr. Hyde: "Yes you did. But that's not why I'm crossed. I'm crossed because your treatment of Miss Mina was uncivil. So tell me...How was it?"

"Whu….what?"

Mr. Hyde: "How was it when you beat her!"

There was panting and coughing. As Hyde looked at his own clenched hand.

"She squealed like a pig."

Mr. Hyde: "Like a pig?..."

He became enraged.

"LIKE A PIG!"

He hurled his hand at the Window and it shattered, sending glass everywhere. There was a plummeting scream.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Mr. Hyde: "LIKE THAT!"

There was a squishing sound as something struck the sharpened barbed tips of a steel fence. It bent out of shape, crushed and twisted.

Hawley Griffin: "Jesus…"

Hyde shouted at the window, pounding his chest with adrenaline and shouting while laughing.

Mr. Hyde: " This is the life eh Griffin? This is the Life!"

He shouted out the window, until his voice reached the streets.

 **The English Countryside**

Mina, Allan and Jonathan walked through the forest. The elephant and the Badger were behind them. The Brown bear in the torn clothes led them. To their side was the Tiger in clothing, blocking all their exits it seemed.

Allan Quatermain: Dear god what have we blundered into? This can't be happening?

"QUIET! NOT TO TALK!"

Shouted the Bear.

Mina Harker: "Sir, we are human being, and unlike yourselves, we are meant to talk! Where are you taking us?"

The creature roared in a combination of words and Bear growl.

"NOT TO TALK! NOT TO TALK!"

Jonathan grabbed her shoulders and held her back.

Jonathan Harker: "Mina, for god's sake, Don't criticise them!"

Mina Harker: "I don't see why not. If they insist on behaving like beasts, they must expect to be treated as such.

"NOT BEASTS! YOU NOT TO TALK!

The Tiger crouched down by a pool of water and began to lap it up. The Elephant's eyes widened.

"YOU COME WITH US, SEE MASTER! YOU…"

He turned back to the path and saw the Tiger licking up the water.

"URRNH?"

The Bear struck the Tiger across the face.

"NO, TIM! BAD! BAD! NOT TO GO ON ALL FOURS, TIM! NOT TO UP WATER!"

The Tiger stood up with paws outstretched, growling.

"WE GO THEM SEE MASTER! SEE, TIM! GREEN ONE IS COME TAKE US!

The Tiger growled back.

Allan Quatermain: "Green One? What on Earth are they…"

Something drove up in front of him.

Allan Quatermain: "Talking….Oh my god."

A green Toad pointed. He was sitting in a toy car made to accommodate his size, based off of a real motor car yet seemingly made like a child's. It was red and curved with a steering wheel. He drove off, leaving a path in the grass.

Mina Harker:"I-I think I'm going to be sick. It's wrong. It's just all so wrong."

The Bear pointed in the direction he went.

"Quiet you now! Follow Green One! He go Master."

All three nervously followed the driving toad for quite some time in unbearable silence.

Allan Quatermain: "Look, I have had enough of this"

He turned and began to berate the Bear.

Mina Harker: "Allan…"

Allan Quatermain: "No Mina, either these Jonnies-"

Jonathan Harker: "Ahem-"

Allan Quatermain: "Right, excuse my wording. Either this wusses tell us where we are going, or I fight them right here"

"That won't be necessary"

The Toad stepped out of his vehicle and bowed.

A red haired scientist stepped out of a door of a cottage. All the Beast Folk bowed, scraped and cringed in his presence.

Dr. Moreau: "Welcome Madam and Gentlemen to my humble Sanctuary. I am Alphonse Moreau, how may I help you?"

Moreau seemed to had sustained noticeable injuries. The left side of his head had what looked like a dent in it, and maybe some scarring. It looked like there was a bite-sized chunk taken from his right arm. Prendick's report, though unread by the three Leaguers, reported that one hand was almost severed at the wrist and his head battered in by the fetters of a puma. Evidently, Moreau didn't die from these injuries as Prendick had reported, but, after all,who ever believes crazy hermits?

The Doctor was surrounded by his creations. Among them was a Giraffe in a suit with a neck brace supported by a long steel pole which moved about like an IP. An obese Pig in Overalls. A White small chubby Dog with his eyes closed and chubby arms and a several black spots. The Toad was bringing in his car. He was among the smallest of the creations. There was a baboon in another suit holding a copy of The Iliad. Mina suspected he was from Monkeyana. There was a large amount of rats or mice in clothing scattered about. Next to Moreau's legs were two boxing rats. Other Mice seemed to be dressed differently including a Mouse in city clothing and one in Country clothing. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse seemed to be friends. Mina had studied the discovery of sentient Mice, even having eras of history closely resembling the Middles Ages complete with Knightly armor, swords and their own equivalent to Camelot reportedly called Redwall. There were reports of a Basil of Baker Street who evidently soles crimes like the great detective. In America, there were supposedly Cowboy Mice. Perhaps these Mice and Rats were not his creation, but rather creatures he had been studying or befriended. Then there was a Pug man, emerging from the dwelling with a bloody apron. A More and a Rat were talking. The shape of a woman in a dress, except that she had the face of a duck hidden behind a fan. A Black Cat in large human sized boots. Evidently Moreau had modeled some of his creations out of children's stories such as Puss in Boots and Mother Goose. A Skinned Rabbit in a blue jacket was eating the head of a parrot.

Mina took a look at the dwelling of the Doctor and saw that it was quite old rather than created. It had a circular door. If she had to guess from her time as a teacher, she would guess the architecture was from the Middle Earth period. The architecture suggested it was formerly a Hobbit Hole.

Mina Harker: "I-I take you are the doctor we seek?"

Jonathan Harker: "Sir, we are agents of the crown, and..."

Dr. Moreau: "Yes. So I had gathered...That is why I had H-9 and his men bring you to me"

Some of the dressed Mice were crawling up Quatermain's legs. He did his best to brush them off without hurting them or killing them less he earn the ire from their creator.

Allan Quatermain: "H-9? You mean that bear-thing?"

H-9 glared at Quatermain after his remark.

Dr. Moreau: "Of course, the H stands for Hybrid, didn't our masters tell you? H-11, bring our guests some food, would you?"

H-11: "Yes master. Algy get food now"

Jonathan Harker: "A pug-dog"

Mina Harker: "Incredible"

Allan Quatermain: "Look, Moreau or whatever your name is, how did you know we'd been sent by the government to find you?"

Dr. Moreau: "H-9 overheard you talking about me. His english is quite good"

Dr. Moreau lead them inside his cottage

Dr. Moreau. "As for the government, who else knows I exist? They repositioned me here when there were...difficulties...at my previous establishment. Please come through. H-9 tells me you met with Pendrick yesterday"

Jonathan Harker: "I'm afraid you are correct"

Mina Harker: "He has an obsession with you"

Dr. Moreau: "He is a former acquaintance who has, unfortunately, gone mad. My creations keep him under discreed observation. He poses no threat."

Quatermain looked under a blanket on a table, finding some sort of odd creature

Allan Quatermain: "Good lord, what on the earth is this"

Dr. Moreau: "This was to be H-216, but dogs are always difficult. Surgery is required on the limbs so they can stand correctly. It perished under the anaesthetic. "

He covered it back up.

Dr. Moreau: "Certain hybrids are more difficult than others. They can have offspring but they are often identical to their parents in appearance and personality. However it seems they are getting smarter each time."

Mina Harker: "W-We are here to transport something called H-142 to london..."

Dr. Moreau: "H-142? You are sure about this? Then I take London is in grave danger..."

Allan Quatermain: "It has been invaded by things from another world. Perhaps Mars...Look, whoever you are, you got to help us!"

Dr. Moreau: "I see. Then we must discuss this over dinner, yes...? Like civilised beings..."

H-11 placed a plate of food on the table as Moreau was talking with his guests. The Doctor rolled up his sleeves. The tray had a circle of what appeared to be Mice and rats, cooked to a crispy brown and leaning on the back with their legs up and tails straightened. Moreau had seemed to have been inspired by naturist, William Buckland, whose most famous quirk was delighting in the snack of grilled mice on toast. There were also dead birds on the tray mixed with nuts and fruits. It looked to be a rather wide ranging diet and a "most civilised" one at that, though not one in keeping with the initial laws Moreau set out for his creations, including "Not to eat Fish or Flesh".

 **The British Museum**

Hyde's large hand pulled away a curtain and laughed as he saw William Sampson drive his carriage. He put his hand in his pocket. There was broken glass and furniture destroyed. Hyde walked to the door. He was about to exist when he paused and turned around to face the room again.

Mr. Hyde: "Well...Aren't you coming?"

He went down the hallway and fixed his collar. Nemo had arrived in a large trenchcoat. William Sampson was dressed in a coat and top hat and was carrying a covered silver tray. Which fell to the ground in shock at the sight of Hyde, holding something invisible by the neck. Standing beside him was Griffin. His arm was in a sling. His face was bandaged and he wore a trench coat.

Mr. Hyde: "I can explain over Dinner. I'm absolutely starving."

 **Dinner**

Nemo and William Sampson ate with fork and knife. Hyde's massive hand reached down and grabbed the entire Chicken. He was chewing a wing. Bone and all.

Captain Nemo: "Your appetite is quite considerable. would only pick at his food."  
Hyde spoke while chewing.

Mr. Hyde: "Jekyll was a weakling. All these Mars men about. Would've got us killed."  
William Samson Sr: "Huh, strikes me you are more likely to do that yourself"

Mr. Hyde: "Yes. Yes, you are quite right. But at least that will be when I say so. I wouldn't give Jekyll the satisfaction"

William Samson Sr: "Sounds to me like you dont care for the feller much"

Captain Nemo: "Indeed, especially considering it was his genius that gave you independent life"

Mr. Hyde: "His genius?! What, Jekyll?!"

Hyde couldn't help but laugh at the remark

Mr. Hyde: "Jekyll is a flinching little presbyterian spinster frightened by his own emotions. He would probably doomed us both"

Captain Nemo: "What do you mean?"

Mr. Hyde: "I mean-" He made a pause to burp "By separating us in the first place, all because he wanted to be pure. What an idiot"

It could have just been Nemo's imagination but there was a portrait of Robert Louis Stevenson on the far back wall that appeared to be staring at Hyde the same way Jekyll looked at him. As if disgusted with his own creation, or shame that it had been spawned from his own mind.

William Samson Sr: "He was a doctor, wast he? I should have thought he would not have many sins to purge"

Mr. Hyde: "Exactly! Exactly! First sensible thing you have said"  
Hyde started counting

Mr. Hyde: "Should I tell you what they were, eh? These evils he was desperate to get rid of? Well, he would once stolen a book...Well, more like borrowed and never returned, but still. He played with himself sometimes while thinking about other men...That's about it"

Hyde shrugged

Mr. Hyde: "Anyway, what the silly bastard did, he thought if he quarantined all these bad parts, what was left would be a freaking angel"

Hyde chuckled once more

Captain Nemo: "Hang on. If you are this chap´s sins, how did you end up so bloody big"

Mr. Hyde: "Good point...That's a very good point…I mean, when I started out, good god, I was practically a dwarf. Jekyll on the other hand, a big strapping fellow. Since then though, my growth was unrestricted, while he has wasted away to nothing. Obviously, really. Without me, you see Jekyll has no drives...And without him, I have no restraints""

Blood had appeared on Hyde's hands and chest and part of the white tablecloth. There were portraits of schoolmasters Wackford Squeers, Headmaster Deadyawn and Professor Bellgrove who appeared to be scolding him with rulers at the ready for having done a horrible thing.

Nemo: "Great Gods, Hyde! You are wounded."

He looked down at himself confused. Nemo and Sampson backed away from the table.

Mr. Hyde: "mhuhm? Oh...no. No, this isn't mine. This is Marvel's, or Griffins. See I couldn't tell them apart while they were invisible so I decided to kill wound them both. It probably means he's just this moment passed away in the library where we locked him."

Griffin at the table suddenly collapsed. Samson was on him and began to pull off the bandages. Nemo ran off. Hyde continued to sit and inspected the growing blood that began to appear.

Mr. Hyde: "Huh. I say that look rather Marvellous, doesn't it? Like a Daguerreotype developing. Anyway where was I?

Samson was pulling the bandages off.

Mr. Hyde: "Oh yes, that's right. No restraints. That's why I'm so big. So do you fancy you've killed Kurds and Pathans uglier than me?

Samson finished. Griffin's head appeared to be inside out, thought it just could have been him becoming visible again as all the muscles from bone to skin took turns returning to sight gradually. There was a scream from Nemo

Captain Nemo: "AAAAHNN! HYDE!"

Mr. Hyde: "Because you know, I'd be willing to wager five pounds you haven't."

Nemo was running down the hall with his sword out.

Captain Nemo: "Mad Animal, what have you done? You are the shit of the world. I'll kill you!"

William Samson Sr: "Captain, No Sir! Don't."

Hyde did not move. Samson grabbed Nemo and held his arm and blade back.

Captain Nemo: "Unhand me! That horror shall not live a moment longer!"

William Samson Sr: "No, and Nor Will We!"

Hyde through the chicken into his blood covered mouth and chewed it up, crushing the bones.

Mr. Hyde: "Now, sit down and finish your supper."

He looked out the window. There appeared to be one of those tripods staring back at him. It stood erect over the ruins of houses. Behind it was the warm glow of a large fire that cast into the sky like a Dawn. A green light glowed like an eye. Another tripod marched and took a place beside it.

Then two more. Now there were four.

Then five.

More came. All of them converged on the side in which nothing stood but the skeletal remains of buildings and flame. All marched towards a river covered in blood red Weeds overgrowing. All the invaders standing on one side of a bridge. 40 Tripods strong.


	6. You Should See me Dance the Polka

Hyde dipped his razor blade into the filled sink of the Nautilus and brought it up to his face to shave. He was shirtless. He paused, as if he heard something.

"Huhh. Well, now. It is you? Is that you death? You can come out, you know. No need to be shy. Actually, I've been rather looking forward to meeting you. More than you've been looking forward to meeting me, I'll warrant."

He laughed to himself and as he continued to shave, he proceeded to hum…

 **Chapter Six: " You Should See Me Dance the Polka…"**

 **WildWood Train Station.**

There were only Four figures waiting for the train. The Station was otherwise empty except for some creatures. There were posters and advertisements littered about including old ones for Egyptian Hall or Egyptian Avenue, a reminder of the Egypt craze of some decade ago sparked by the discovery of Count Allamistakeo, King Tut's Tomb, Queen Tera and the Valley of the Kings. More contemporary advertisement were for 's Food, Marigold Flake, Pears Soap, and Fry's Cocoa, makes of the first Chocolate candy bar, later to merge with Cadbury's.

The Four were currently watching, Moreau with a disturbing unphased expression and all others with horror, a rabbit in a blue coat being torn apart by a mother fox and her cubs just across the track.

Doctor Moreau: "hmm..I'll have to make another Peter Rabbit."

He looked over to his guests and noticed their discomfort, making a quick decision to change the subject.

Doctor Moreau: "So you say there will be a train…?"

Mina Harker: " I-I believe so. Our landlady's brother cycled to Cocking yesterday evening and sent a telegram to London for us. I imagine they'll arrange a special service."

Doctor Moreau: "I imagine so. And I am sure that they will be most careful with our cargo."

The Tiger and the Bear hybrids carried out a large wooden crate.

Allan Quatermain: "Huh. So that's what military intelligence sent us here for, is it? "H-142?""

Jonathan Harker: "Another of your ghastly hybrids…"

Doctor Moreau: "One of my hybrids, certainly. It disappoints me that you find my marvellous children ghastly. As times change, so, too, shall our definition of the Human. You will see."

Mina Harker: "Is it sedated, inside that crate?"

Doctor Moreau: " It sleeps, in its own fashion. When it wakes it will perform the task our masters have in mind for it."

Mina Harker: "I'm amazed, , at how you keep your...children...hidden here, and under control.

Doctor Moreau: well, naturally, they revere and love me. But you are right mademoiselle. Sometimes, to restrain them, it is not easy. Some of them retain their animal urges. H-9 there, for example, has strong sexual instincts.

The creatures were quite horrifying on their own as they appeared to be permanently snarling. None of them wished to think about them having sex.

Doctor Moreau: "When I have pairs of them all, this will not be much of a problem. Rabbits are naturally the most reproductive. I try to contain them but they have colonies in Sandleford Warren. There are simply too many. H-9 is different. He is my only bear. At present, he can become frustrated, and also aggressive. Luckily a gypsy woman lives nearby who can placate him."

Mina Harker: "You...You mean with herbs, perhaps, or…?"

Doctor Moreau: "No, mademoiselle. I mean that for a substantial sum of money, she will have congress with him. She is a robust woman, I understand, though of mature years. In fact, if I recall correctly, I believe I heard she was a grandmother.

All his guests were disturbed. The conversation was ended by the appearance of smoke and a faint sound of wheels churning.

Doctor Moreau: "Ah. That sounds like our train. H-9? H-14? Please conceal yourselves."

The two hybrids backed away into the tall grass until they faded into it. The train came. It was black and bore the Freemason symbol on its front. The train stopped with its front before them. Among the symbols on the side was the all seeing eye in the pyramid, and three numbers reading ".007". At the front were not ordinary conductors but men clad in green full body suits with red eyed goggles. They stepped out, seeming to be emerging from the steam o the train like ghosts.

"You're the Harkers?"

Mina Harker: "Yes. The object you're here to retrieve is over there. Please handle it carefully."

The two moved the crate into the back of the train.

"Right. All packed then."

Jonathan Harker: "Come on, Mina. We'd best be getting onboard."

Mina turned back to the doctor.

Mina Harker: "Goodbye, . I hope you will not lack for human company, after we have gone."

Moreau: "It was good to see humans again that weren't Prendick. It's felt lonely since my  
Nephew passed away. He would visit me sometimes. He was an artist living abroad that would paint my "Chimerae" as he called them. I told him, "Gustave, your work is excellent, if only you would finish it!"

Sadness fell on the Doctor.

"He died in April."

After a moment of silence he regained his composure.

Doctor Moreau: "Ah, well. Your train awaits."

The three boarded the train. Moreau stood outside the window and tipped his hat to steam made him vanish as the train left. He watched as the vehicle departed. He waved and they saw his creations stand beside him and wave as well, which made them uncomfortable.

Mina Harker: "My God, Jonathan. What a nest of horrors."

Jonathan Harker: "Couldn't agree more. What sort of nightmare is inside that crate do you suppose?

Mina Harker: "H-142? I don't know something dreadful, to repel the invaders?"

Allan: "What, like I don't know a hybrid Dragon or something? Fiery breath against the heatray device?"

Jonathan Harker: "Perhaps. Although the crates rather small…"

Allan: Yes. and not particularly heavy from the looks of it. Ah, Well presumably London knows exactly what they're getting.

Mina Harker: "Hmm. Let's hope so."

The train travelled towards a tunnel. The smoke from London could be seen from a distance.

Within the tunnel itself was an abandoned stop among Greek pillars. Campion Bond sweated and wiped his face with hankerchief. He was accompanied by three armed soldiers in the same outfit as the other two on the train. Allan, and Jonathan brought out the bags.

Mina Harker: " ."

Campion Bond: "Miss Harker. Mr. Harker, Quatermain. Y-you have H-142? The specimen has arrived safely, without damage?

Mina Harker: "Well...yes. I mean, I assume so…

Campion Bond: "Thank god."

He instructed the men with guns.

Campion Bond: "It's all right! There's no need to shoot us! I repeat they're all right!"

Jonathan Harker: "Shoot us? What…?"

Campion Bond: "It's nothing that need concern you. Come on Let's get that freight car unloaded, and for god's sake be careful!

Allan Quatermain: "Bond, what's going on? Waterloo's deserted except for your special services people…"

Campion Bond: "So is London. Time's running out, . Please excuse me.

The crate was lifted out.

Campion Bond: "That's it. Easy does it. Now, get the bloody thing over to Westminster, and whatever you do, don't drop it!"

The three newcomers looked around to the abandoned clues,searching for clues at an H. Smith newsstand reporting on a Food Stores Crisis.

Mina Harker: " . I have questions. What is in that crate and why have you chosen to include my husband in these matters."

Campion Bond: "What is in the case, Ms. Harker, is the answer to London's prayers, and straw, I hope. Lots of straw. Jonathan's presence, that was the suggestion of Mycroft. He has some agreement with your comrade Van Helsing to ensure the safety of both of you. Now come with me. We'll be joining your colleagues at London Bridge."

Allan Quatermain: "Why London Bridge? Is the Nautlilus there?

Campion Bond: "No, that's still trapped at Wapping. London Bridge is where the Tripods are massed.

Mina Harker: " Tripods? You mean the milking stools Allan saw?

Campion Bond: " Yes. So far, we've held them in South London, except for one that landed at Primrose Hill. That one was seemingly intended as a major manufacturing base, but luckily we incinerated it in its crater. Ah, well, here is our transport"

William Samson Sr had arrived stationing himself near the league and their handler.

Mina Harker: "Oh my god...Where is everybody? Allan, everybody´s..."

Campion Bond: "Evacuated, if we cant hold them at the river, london is finished. The bridge, Samson, quick as you can!"

William Samson Sr: "Right you are sir!"

The league got onto the carriage.

Campion Bond: "Mr. Harker. Your presence is required elsewhere. Anywhere outside of this area is the frontline of a War."

Mina put a hand on his shoulder.

Mina Harker: "Farewell Jonathan. I'll be with you soon."

They kissed and Mina got into the Carriage, which promptly drove off.

Allan Quatermain: "Why London bridge? Can't those things use another bridge, or wade across the river?"

Campion Bond: "Well, yes, messed that up for themselves, didn't they? Filled the Thames with this ghastly weed. That's what disabled the Nautilus. As for the bridges. Tower Bridge we raised, obviously. Most of the others we have blocked with rubble. Rotherhithe bridge we blew up, along with that tripod that was on it. And the people, of course"

Surprisingly Bond semed horrified at his. His hair was going down across his face. His eyes frozen in horror and his hands shook while he tried to grab a cigar.

Allan Quatermain: "Bond, listen...That horde of monsters Moreau´s creating..."

Campion Bond: "Ah, you met his playmates, did you? They are not important. Merely an eccentric hobby we tolerate"

Mina Harker: "W-We had assumed they were his government project..."

Campion Bond: "Really? Why would we need subhuman brutes who barely mastered english when we already have soldiers...Its the H-140 series we are interested in. If the rest become a problem we will probably euthanise them. Samson? Here will do"

They stopped at a barricade with soldiers. The brightly colored home service uniforms and mounted officers are gone, replaced by khaki drab. Had they any knowledge of the future they'd have recognized the outfits to be used in the first World War. It was as if the military had skyrocketed through 30 years of military innovation. The first soldiers had been wearing dress uniforms, while these new arrivals meant serious business, and turned out in battle fatigues for the occasion.

Mina Harker: "But...I mean, if the hybrid animals aren't important, then…"

Allan Quatermain: "Then what was H-142? What was in that crate?"

Campion Bond: "That isn't your concern. Now hurry! Your colleagues are waiting by the Bridge-Mouth Fortifications."

Bond, Allan and Mina walked up a flight of stairs to see Nemo and Hyde standing there overlooking the scene before them.

Mina Harker: "Captain. A-and Edward. It is a great relief to see you both again."

Captain Nemo: "For us, also. You have brought this thing that will save London?"

Campion Bond: "Yes. They have. It's at Westminster, being prepared for delivery…and until it's ready, we must keep the Invaders on the other side of the Thames."

Allan Quatermain: "Hold on. Delivery? What do you mean?"

Captain Nemo: "Bond, their machines will cross soon…"

Mina Harker: "Oh, god. Allan! Come and Look!".

The entirety of the River Thames was engulfed and overgrown with red weed and hideous plants. The Martians waited by the other end of the bridge. Surprisingly and perhaps ironically, one of the few things left standing was the monument to the Great Fire of London in Pudding Lane, bearing a posed figure of The Doctor in the form of a young man with blonde hair and a piece of celery. His presence there was due to him starting the London fire of 1666 with the purpose of thwarting an alien invasion. The monument was in remembrance of this occasion. The First League known as Prospero's Men had been involved in saving as many as they could.

Captain Nemo: "This Red muck has disabled my Nautilus…"

Allan Quatermain: huh. Probably intentionally. That Invisible spy probably suggested it.

Hyde: "Yes. Well. We needn't worry about him."

Mina Harker: "Why? What do you mean?"

Nemo snapped.

Captain Nemo: "That ville Monster killed the spy and Griffin as well."

Hyde: "My apologies. I couldn't tell the two apart. But I attended to his end. Please be  
reassured that it was...comfortable.

Mina was troubled by this but in a state of shock.

Mina Harker: "Oh, well...good. I should not like to hear of any creature suffering unnecessarily e-even Griffin."

Hyde: "hurm. We thought as much. Didn't we, Nemo?"

Captain Nemo: "Spawn of a whore! You…"

Campion Bond: "Look. Can't you try being professionals? Is that too much to ask? Nemo was right. They'll cross soon."

Allan Quatermain: "Why haven't they already?"

Campion Bond: "Th-They must think we have artillery here, even though we haven't. They burned it all. Soon, they'll realize that."

Captain Nemo: "Yes. Then they will cross. We cannot stop them."

Hyde: "Speak for yourself, Darkie. I'll bet I could give them a surprise or two."

Allan Quatermain: "Hyde, come on! Even you...I mean you can't be serious?"

Hyde: "Why not? I mean, what are they? It's just a copper boiler on stilts, and inside that, there's just a useless wheezing Blancmange."

Mina Harker: "Edward, anything setting foot in their sightline will be incinerated…"

Hyde: "Huhur. What, and that's supposed to put me off, is it?"

Campion Bond: "look, thinking about it, what alternatives do we have? Anything to hold the Bridge…"

Hyde: "That's right. If they cross, all of us freaks will have outlived our usefulness, eh Bond?"

Campion Bond: "Look, we just need to buy time until H-142 is delivered…

Mina Harker: "Edward. I can't allow this. You'll be killed."

Hyde frowned.

Hyde: "Yes. I suppose I shall. And end up looking rather noble, when all I really want is to slaughter something, eh?"

He began to walk towards the bridge but then turned to Mina.

Hyde: "Miss Harker, before I go would you allow me the honour of a kiss?"

Allan Quatermain: "Mina…"

Mina Harker: "Oh Edward...O-of Course...Of Course I would."

Hyde slowly raised his giant arms and brought them up to the sides of Mina's face.

Hyde: "Ah. Ah, god. Thank you...Thank you."

Mina Harker: "Edward, you...you must promise. You must promise not to hurt me."

Hyde: "Of course. I shall never hurt you….Never."

The two kissed, slowly.

Hyde eventually pulled away and breathed in.

Hyde: "I was right, then about this world..Always I knew that Heaven would be the cruelest of places."

He returned his gaze to her.

Hyde: "Farewell, my perfect Mina."

Hyde walked away and began to remove his tie and Suit. He then began to sing.

Hyde: "Tiddle-um Tum-Tum, Ta Tum-Tum..Tiddle um-tum, tiddle um-TUM…

Allan Quatermain: "Mina…"

Mina Harker: "It's all right, Allan."

Tears began to appear in her eyes.

Mina Harker: "I'm all right."

Hyde walked alone through the Bridge. Three Tripods emerged from the smoke. Hyde walked up to one with ease. It seemed to be focused on the others in the distance.

Hyde: "You should see me Dance the Polka."

He moved to holding his coat and took out his cane, and held out his hands.

Hyde: "You should see me cover the ground."

And he began to dance.

"You should see my coat tails flying…"

"...As I jump my partner 'Round"

The Tripod identified him and the Heat ray device began to emerge.

"When the band commences playing…"

"...My feet begin to go…"

"For a Rollicking Romping Polka is the Jolliest Fun I"

The Tripod fired.

Hyde was engulfed in flame completely. He was cut off abruptly. He still held his cane which like his skin seemed to burn away until the tip fell off. Hyde's head disappeared into the flame. He now seemed headless. He arms fell and he crashed forward. A smoking heap.

Mina Harker: "oh GOD! Oh GOD, it got him! The Heat Device got him!

Campion Bond: "Then we're dead. They won't have H-142 ready yet…"

Men in Green Chemical uniforms and fask masks were carrying something from a crate between two bars towards a large chamber. One man was holding a large ladle.

The Tripod that had finished him, walked passed the corpse and marched towards its target.

Hyde's darkened, burned form lay motionless. Two spots on his back glowed and smoked. Another was in his arm. He lay in a pool of bubbling liquid fire.

His eyes opened.

The flames dissipated and smoked out.

Hyde began to get up. He was now naked but alive.

Hyde: "OUNNGH...Wh-Why you unspeakable ****ing Rotter."

He charged like a bull towards the legs. The Tripod had yet to notice his survival.

Hyde: "That Bloody hurt. That Bloody Hurt, you mincing, Three-Legged Martian ****!"

Hyde slammed into the machine. The Heat Ray device felt the stop and twisted to look down. It slithered like a snake to look at him.

Hyde:"huhuhn. Yes, that's right. Shoot me again, you little shit, without blowing your own foot off. Huhur. You're in trouble aren't you?"

The Device was moving about like a Cobra, trying to fire. It shot its Heat Ray, but Hyde hugged the large steel leg, gritted his teeth and closed the eye as the beam struck the ground next to him.

Hyde:"I mean...URRNGH...I'm no engineer, and correct me if I'm mistaken, but…"

He began to dent and crush the leg.

Hyde: "HRRUNGH!...But don't you have rather a design flaw in there three legged things?"

He squeezed. There was a burst of what he thought of as steam from a hole in its leg.

Hyde: "Now, don't get me wrong: god created a lot of useless, stupid looking creatures on this world, too, but he didn't…"

He gave another tug.

Hyde: "NURRRHHH! He didn't see fit to make any of them three-legged. Why was that, do you think?!"

Hyde continued to hug the leg and with his great strength fell backwards,and in the process flipped the entirety of the massive tripod. Effectively supplexing it. The head slammed down. Several English citizens fell out of a pouchlike area. The martians were using them as feedbags. While Martians do not eat but rather took the fresh living blood of other creatures, and injected it into their veins. Some landed onto the red weed,other splattered onto the bridge. The lucky ones, survives or slid down the Machine, quickly running to the other side of the bridge.

Hyde approached the Tripod. Inside, the strange squidlike creature struggled. It saw only green. Hyde's skeletal sadistic green appeared on the green crystal like screen in front of him. He spoke, his voice translated into the invader's own language. The secret, to a human, was to read it in a mirror, something impossible when the language was being spoken. It was saying something along the lines of "Dam you". Hyde's voice sounded something like "Can you hear me in there?"

Hyde: "Because it you can't, this next bit will come as something of a surprise I'm afraid."

He grabbed and sunk his fingers into the Tripod around the green light. He heaved up, and with great roar, ripped off the door. Exposing the squidlike creature within, which wriggled its tendrils and roared wit its beaks, looking at Hyde with black eyes. Hyde grinned with his fangs.

Hyde: "Hello, old chap. Welcome to England."

He grabbed the creature. It let out a yell. He ripped it out and began to eat it, swallowing its pieces down, including one of its eyes. He spoke through his consumption.

Hyde: "This is Fmafhing, Abfolutely Fmafhing.

The other Tripods and their heat devices looked at each other as if considering their next move. They surrounded the craft and hide within it.

And fired.

The remains of the Tripod were blown apart in a massive explosion which consumed the bridge. Chunks of metal debris went flying. For a split second as the blast shot outward. One could see Hyde's skeleton before it was vaporized.

Mina looked away and began to cry.

Mina Harker: "Oh no. oh, that poor poor man.."

Captain Nemo: "We...we cannot know what feelings our enemies have...But we may be certain, at least that Hyde taught them terror."

Bond wiped his face.

Campion Bond: "The...The fallen Tripod is blocking the bridge! We've got them trapped!

The Men in green suits were loading up an artillery shell, preparing it to be fired. Finally the weapon was realised. A shot was fired.

Captain Nemo: "What was that report from down river? It sounded like guns…"

Campion Bond: "It's the artillery position at Westminster. They're delivering H-142 to South London."

Mina Harker: "What, an Artillery shell? B-but isn't it one of Moreau's hybrids?

Bond removed his harlequin cigarette case.

Campion Bond: "Oh, yes. Yes, it's a hybrid all right. Anthrax and Streptococcus, if I remember correctly.

There was an explosion near the Tripods.

Captain Nemo: "A hybrid disease? What is this fool prattling about?"

Allan Quatermain: "The place we visited, there were hybrids. B-but we didn't know…"

Mina Harker: "Bond, there must still be people in South London.!"

Bond lit his cigarette.

Campion Bond: "Officially, the martians died of the common cold. Any humans died of Martians.

Nemo backed away in horror.

Captain Nemo: "E-England has disease bombs? And you have made Nemo party to their use! You are all dogs, all of you! I resign from this League of yours!"

Campion Bond: "It doesn't matter. We've won. Now we simply wait."

The Tripods were approaching the were twelve Tripods remaining. One of them fell over. And then another.

Allan Quatermain: "Nemo, please, I swear we didn't know…"

He tried to put a hand on Nemo's shoulder but he turned. Walking away he stopped in silence.

Captain Nemo: "When this weed is cleared, I return to my wife and child on Lincoln Island. You have until then to decide if you wish to join me."

He looked over to Bond.

Captain Nemo: "Never seek me again."

There were six Tripods remaining. One fell over.

Nemo stood atop the Nautilus with Broad Arrow Jack. Ishmael was quite old and could only do so much. Those were the only two. There were men cleaning the Thames that were not his, pulling out red weed from the Thames. Allan and Mina saw this.

Allan Quatermain: "I'm going to help him. Are you coming Mina."

Mina was distant.

Mina Harker: "I...I should get back to my family as well."

Allan looked at her.

Allan Quatermain: "Alright. Then I'll see you later won't I."

Mina Harker: "Yes I believe you will."

The sun was setting when the last tripod fell.

And from that point on it poetically went down that Earth's most insignificant lifeforms brought about the downfall of the planet's greatest enemies. Somewhere, a survivor wrote. the Martians are brought low by their susceptibility to Earth bacteria and because their culture is free of bacteria and the like:

The last salient point in which the systems of these creatures differed from ours was in what one might have thought a very trivial particular. Micro-organisms, which cause so much disease and pain on earth, have either never appeared upon Mars or Martian sanitary science eliminated them ages ago. A hundred diseases, all the fevers and contagions of human life, consumption, cancers, tumours and such morbidities, never enter the scheme of their life.

 **Serpentine Park, London.**

 **September 30th, 1898.**

Life seemed to be returning to normal. The park was full of people. It shouldn't have been Autumn at this time. Not until mid or late October, except as a result of exceptionally hot, dry summers. This was likely due to the extraterrestrial tampering of the weather and how quickly it was changing. This inspired a song: "Forever Autumn" which was being played nearby.

Allan and Nemo walked through the park. Allan found and sat on a bench.

Captain Nemo: "Are you certain she will be here?"

Allan Quatermain: "She will be here."

Captain Nemo: " I shall not wait long."

He turned and walked away towards the entrance of the park, where William Sampson was waiting with his carriage.

Allan Quatermain: "She'll be here."

Allan leaned over and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep. Leaves covered him. The music played.

ROLL CREDITS

Words appear over the image of Allan song Forever Autumn begins to play in full. Quotes appear floating in space in white and elegant penmanship accompanied by disembodied voices of the quoted and the voices of the singers of the song.

 _The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,_

 _And darker days are drawing near,_

 _The winter winds will be much colder,_

 _Now you're not here_

 **"I feel a wonderful peace and rest tonight. It is as if some haunting presence were removed from me."**

-Mina Harker's Journal, October 5th 1891

 _I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky,_

 _And one by one they disappear,_

 _I wish that I was flying with them,_

 _Now you're not here_

 **"This is day one of year one of the new epoch- the epoch of the Invisible Man. I am Invisible Man the First."**

-Hawley Griffin, 1897.

 _Like the sun through the trees you came to love me,_

 _Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away_

 **"Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil."**

-Henry Jekyll, 1886.

 _A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes,_

 _As if to hide a lonely tear,_

 _My life will be forever autumn,_

 _'Cause you're not here_

 **"I am not what you call a civilized man! I have done with society entirely, for reasons which I alone have the right of appreciating. I do not therefore obey its laws…"**

-Captain Nemo, Nov.1867

 _Through autumn's golden gown we used to kick our way,_

 _You always loved this time of year,_

 _Those fallen leaves lie undisturbed now,_

 _'Cause you're not here_

 **"I've killed many men in my time, but I have never slain wantonly or stained my hand in innocent blood, only in self defence."**

-Allan Quatermain, 1880

 _A gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes,_

 _As if to hide a lonely tear,_

 _My life will be forever autumn,_

 _'Cause you're not here_

Cut to Black.

"Allan…"

"Allan!"

He snapped awake.

Mina was standing there looking down at him. It was her.

Allan Quatermain: "Hello."

Mina Harker: "Hello."

Allan Quatermain: "The last of the weed's almost gone from the Thames. It started dying off soon after the Martians, turning brittle. It seems the invaders were feeding it with blood. The weather getting colder didn't help either. Nemo thinks they need tropical climates."

Mina Harker: "And how is Nemo?"

Allan Quatermain: "Eager to forget this whole business, and you?"

Mina Harker:"I can't stop thinking about all of them. Nemo, Edward, Griffin. Our whole band wiped away."

Allan Quatermain: "Not entirely. And not without trace. Why, I hear they're planning to rename Serpentine Park here after Hyde. And after all there's still us."

Mina turned away.

Mina Harker: "Oh, Allan...I don't know. I don't know anything anymore."

Allan Quatermain: "What do you mean?"

Mina Harker: "I mean I was just getting over Dracula when all this started. Then there was Moriarty, then the Martians. I suppose I need to get away. Just for a while. Jonathan and I had a long talk about it. There's an island in Scotland called Summerisle. I think I shall stay there for some time."

Allan Quatermain: "Mina, you're joking, surely?"

Mina's expression changed into seriousness.

Mina Harker: "No Allan. I'm not. What happened with the League...that was horrifying, yet in a way I enjoyed it. Not all of it of course, but it was...exhilarating.

Allan Quatermain: "So...This is goodbye."

Mina Harker: "Not yet. And maybe not forever. If at all possible I'd like the Nautilus to take me there. I would like Nemo to have a way to contact me should something arise."

Allan Quatermain: "Do you suppose something will arise?"

Mina Harker: "No one expected invaders from Mars."

She began to walk away.

Mina Harker: "Well then, shall we head there now?"

Allan Quatermain: "Yes I suppose we shall. To be honest I have travelling plans of my own.

The two walked away. Leaving the park behind and heading towards Samson and Nemo.

"I'd like to see Africa one more time before I die.'"

THE END


End file.
